A. B. Macallum was born in Belmont, Ontario and took his B.A. in 1880 from the University of Toronto. In 1888 he received his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University. His teaching career began in Toronto in 1884, and he taught biology, physiology, and physiological chemistry until 1907, when he became chairman of Canada's first Department of Biochemistry. In 1920 Macallum came to McGill as Professor of Biochemistry, a post he retained until his retirement as Emeritus Professor in 1929. From 1916 until 1920, he was the first chairman of the Advisory Council for Science and Research (later the National Research Council). Macallum published widely on the chemistry of animal and vegetable cells, particularly as regards the localization of minerals, on the composition of cellular and tissue fluids, blood plasma, and physical and chemical factors in heredity.