Inductees

---

Dr. Charles Canniff James was the founder of the agricultural representative service in Ontario.

A gold medalist in natural science on graduation from Victoria University in 1883, he became professor of chemistry at the Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph in 1886. In 1891, he was made Deputy Minister of Agriculture, a post he held for twenty-one years.

In 1906, he outlined his idea: “to assist in the teaching of agriculture in high schools and greatly extend and improve the work of the department – the ideal will be a specialist, an agent, a trained agriculturist located in every county, - a moving or directing spirit of every agricultural organization, instructing, advising – a specialist in the major farm interest in the section he serves."

The first six appointments were made the following year and growth continued until the entire province was so served.

Dr. James was also an authority on Canadian history and literature, author of several books and he wrote extensively in the technical journals of his day. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and an LLD of the University of Toronto.