James Layton Ralston, lawyer, politician (b at Amherst, NS 27 Sept 1881; d at Montréal 21 May 1948). A WWI battalion commander with a reputation for bravery and competence, Ralston was twice minister of national defence, 1926-30 and 1940-44. Intense, scrupulously honest, and an able representative of the political interests of the Maritime provinces, he was a stalwart in Prime Minister Mackenzie King's WWII Cabinet, serving briefly as minister of finance, 1939-40, before becoming defence minister. Despite a tendency to become mired in administrative detail, he was a fine judge of generalship and a devoted defender of Canada's fighting men. King forced Ralston's resignation in 1944 because of his outspoken support of overseas conscription.
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- MLA 8TH EDITION
- Hillmer, Norman. "James Layton Ralston". The Canadian Encyclopedia, 04 March 2015, Historica Canada. www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/james-layton-ralston. Accessed 05 November 2024.
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- APA 6TH EDITION
- Hillmer, N. (2015). James Layton Ralston. In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/james-layton-ralston
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- CHICAGO 17TH EDITION
- Hillmer, Norman. "James Layton Ralston." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published December 02, 2007; Last Edited March 04, 2015.
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- TURABIAN 8TH EDITION
- The Canadian Encyclopedia, s.v. "James Layton Ralston," by Norman Hillmer, Accessed November 05, 2024, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/james-layton-ralston
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James Layton Ralston
Article by Norman Hillmer
Published Online December 2, 2007
Last Edited March 4, 2015