James Russel Mallory was born in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, in 1916. He was educated at the University of New Brunswick, graduated with a B.A. with Honours in 1937 and an LL.D. in 1968. In 1940 he was awarded an LL.B. from the University of Edinburgh, in 1941 an M.A. from Dalhousie University and in 1978 an LL.D. from Queen’s University. In 1987 James Mallory was awarded an LL.D. from University of Western Ontario and the same year his D.C.L. from Bishop's University. He was Professor of Political Science at McGill from 1959 to 1977. Between 1959 and 1969 he served as Chairman of Department of Economics and Political Science at McGill University. In 1982 he was appointed Emeritus Professor of Political Science and remained in this position until his retirement in 1990. Between 1977 and 1982 James Mallory received several fellowships, was Visiting Professor, Lecturer and Fellow at universities in Canada, Europe and Australia. A prolific writer on Canadian political traditions and structures, and he was an important contributor to the development of social sciences in Canada.