James Ralston

J. L. Ralston
4th Minister of National Defence
In office
July 5, 1940 – November 1, 1944
Prime MinisterW. L. Mackenzie King
Preceded byCharles Power
Succeeded byAndrew McNaughton
In office
October 8, 1926 – August 6, 1930
Prime MinisterW. L. Mackenzie King
Preceded byJames Robb
Succeeded byDonald Matheson Sutherland
Minister of Finance
In office
September 6, 1939 – July 4, 1940
Prime MinisterW. L. Mackenzie King
Preceded byCharles Avery Dunning
Succeeded byJames Lorimer Ilsley
Minister of Pensions and National Health
In office
June 19, 1930 – August 6, 1930
Prime MinisterW. L. Mackenzie King
Preceded byJames King
Succeeded byMurray MacLaren
Member of Parliament
for Prince
In office
January 2, 1940 – June 10, 1945
Preceded byAlfred Edgar MacLean
Succeeded byJohn Watson MacNaught
Member of Parliament
for Shelburne—Yarmouth
In office
November 2, 1926 – October 13, 1935
Preceded byPaul Hatfield
Succeeded byRiding merged into Shelburne—Yarmouth—Clare
MLA for Cumberland
In office
June 14, 1911 – July 26, 1920
Preceded byJoshua H. Livingstone
Succeeded byArchibald Terris
Personal details
Born(1881-09-27)September 27, 1881
Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada
DiedMay 22, 1948(1948-05-22) (aged 66)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Political partyLiberal
Military service
Allegiance Canada
Branch/serviceCanadian Expeditionary Force
Years of service1916-1924
RankColonel
Unit85th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders), CEF
Battles/warsWorld War I

James Layton Ralston PC, CMG, DSO & Bar, KC (September 27, 1881 – May 22, 1948) was a Canadian lawyer, soldier, and politician. A Nova Scotian and a lawyer by training, Ralston fought with distinction during the First World War and pursued a career in the Canadian Army, before becoming a Liberal Member of Parliament. During the Second World War, he served as Minister of National Defence from 1940 to 1944, when he was forced to resign by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King because of his support for the introduction of conscription.