James Malcolm (politician)

James Malcolm was born on July 14, 1880, in Kincardine, Ontario, to Andrew Malcolm, a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and Annie Robertson. His father owned and operated a furniture company in Kincardine. Malcolm and his brother joined the family business, and he eventually became the chairman, running the Kincardine factory. In 1905, he married Ethel A. Swan. == Political career ==

Malcolm was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1921 Canadian federal election, representing the Ontario riding of Bruce North. A Liberal, he was re-elected in 1925, 1926, and 1930. In 1923, he chaired a Special Committee on the Civil Service Act of Canada. From 1926 to 1930, he served as Minister of Trade and Commerce in the cabinet of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King. == Legacy ==

In 1928, Malcolm became the first Canadian to make a public address by trans-Atlantic telephone, delivering a speech from Ottawa to the British Empire Exhibition in Cardiff, Wales. In 1923, Malcolm purchased a large mansion in Kincardine. The building still stands today as a retirement residence and is named 'Malcolm Place' in his honour. == Archives ==

There is a James Malcolm fonds at Library and Archives Canada. ==References==