THE Chairman of the Glasgow School of art and Haldane Academy, was born at Rutherglen, 3rd August, 1831, and educated in the parish school of his native place. He began business life in a Glasgow lawyer's office, but after a year or two migrated to the office of the Britannia Pottery, St. Rollox, and in course of time became a partner in the firm, Messrs. Cochran & Fleming. At the same time he had taken a strong interest in artistic matters, having studied as a lad at the Glasgow School of Art. For two periods he acted as a member of Glasgow School Board, in which he was chairman of the Science and Art Classes Committee. He was also for a time Chairman of the City Educational Endowments' Board, and of the Haldane Trust, and about 1887 succeeded the late Sir James Watson as Chairman of the School of Art and Haldane Academy. He has also been for many years a governor of Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College. At Glasgow International Exhibition in 1901 he was convener of the section of applied and industrial art, and in November, 1906, his services to the artistic interests of the community were recognized by the King conferring upon him the dignity of knighthood. Sir James is a Liberal in politics, and President of the Glasgow Liberal Club. He is on the Commission of the Peace for Glasgow and Lanarkshire.

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