Mavor, James

James Mavor, economist, economic historian and professor of political economy. He was born 8 December 1854 in Stranraer, Scotland. He attended the University of Glasgow and taught economy and statistics at St. Mungo’s College in Glasgow. He became involved in socialist groups as a means to assist the poor, and became acquainted with William Morris and George Bernard Shaw. Ultimately, his knowledge of economics led him to reject Marxist ideals. In 1892, he became the first professor of political economy at the University of Toronto, a position he would hold until his retirement in 1923. Between 1898 and 1899, Mavor was instrumental in bringing the Doukhobors to Canada. Mavor held many professional and personal interests, including economic history, Russian studies and the arts. He assisted in the founding of the Art Museum of Toronto and the Royal Ontario Museum, and authored several books including Economic History of Russia (1914), Niagara in Politics: A Critical Account of the Ontario Hydroelectric Commission (1925) and his memoirs, My Windows on the Street of the World (1923). James Mavor died in 1925.