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A Real Companion and Friend:
The diary of William Lyon Mackenzie King
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Behind the Diary
A King's Who's Who Biographies
James Alexander Gibson (b. 1912)
James Alexander Gibson, 1947
James Gibson, seconded from the Department of External Affairs to the Prime Minister's Office, began work at Laurier House in May 1940. He became responsible for the secret war records. He was a member of the Canadian delegation to the United Nations conference in San Francisco in 1945. Later he had a distinguished academic career.
James Gibson was born in Ottawa and grew up in Victoria, British Columbia. He graduated from the University of British Columbia, then earned his doctorate at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He joined the Canadian Department of External Affairs, and was soon seconded to the Prime Minister's Office. In May 1940, he began work at Laurier House. He became responsible for the secret war records and eventually for protocol. He also worked on statements, speeches and broadcasts on all subjects for the Prime Minister. Gibson was a member of the Canadian delegation to the United Nations conference in San Francisco in 1945.
After the war, he was assigned the task of classifying and arranging the External Affairs records among the King Papers at Laurier House.
Later he had a distinguished academic career. He served as Dean of Arts and Science at Carleton University, from 1951 to 1963, and President of Brock University, from 1963 to 1974. He also worked at universities in the United States, England and Scotland.
Library and Archives Canada holds the James A. Gibson Papers (MG31-A7).
