Sir James Woods KBE (1855 – April 25, 1941) was a Canadian industrialist and philanthropist who was knighted in 1915 for wartime industrial work and named knight commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1917 for his work as a member of the British War Commission in New York.[1][3]
Sir James Woods | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1855 |
| Died | April 25, 1941 (aged 85–86) |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Spouse | Euphemia Douglas[1] (married June 8, 1880)[2] |
| Children | two sons, two daughters living at the time of his death[1] |
In 1928, he was vice-president of Imperial Bank of Canada.[4][5]
He was president of York Knitting Mills Ltd. and of Gordon Mackay and Company Ltd., a wholesale dry goods company. Archives of Gordon Mackay are held by Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario.
In 1930, he proposed a merger of knitting mill companies including Zimmerknit and Gordon Mackay.[6][7]
Philanthropy edit
In 1912, he founded St. Christopher House, a settlement house in Toronto now known as West Community House.[8] Later, he was vice-chairman of the Health League of Canada.[1]
Activism edit
He helped establish the "Forty to Fifty Club", which was intended to help men in this age group find appropriate work.[1]
In 1938, he published a pamphlet titled Insurance of Employment.[9]
Personal life edit
Woods married Euphemia Douglas on 8 June 1880. Their son, Captain John Robinson Woods, was killed in action on 24 October 1917 during the Third Battle of Ypres, also known as Passchendaele.[10] Another son, Captain William Blakeney Woods, also served.[11]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e "Sir James Woods dies at age of 85". The Gazette. Montreal. April 26, 1941. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ^ "Marriage Records for Euphemia Douglas and James Woods". Ancestry.ca. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ^ "Sir James Woods dies, Canadian industrialist". Freeport Journal Standard. Freeport, Illinois. April 25, 1941. p. 4. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ^ "A successful banking year". The Gazette. Montreal. November 30, 1928. p. 12. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
- ^ "Overview of the current economy by officers of the Bank including Sir James Woods". Daily Sentinel-Review. December 2, 1930. pp. 8, column 1. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ^ "Proposal for reorganization of Zimmerknit". Daily Sentinel-Review. November 24, 1930. pp. 1, column 5. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ^ "Big merger of knitting mills given approval". Daily Sentinel-Review. December 18, 1930. pp. 1, column 6. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ^ "Sir James Woods Award nominations now being accepted". Parkdale Villager. April 5, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ^ AMICUS No. 5148946 at Library and Archives Canada
- ^ Library and Archives Canada, Personnel Records of the First World War, Captain John Robinson Woods, RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 10563 - 36.
- ^ Library and Archives Canada, Personnel Records of the First World War, Captain William Blakeney Woods, RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 10566 - 33.