Born in England, James St. Clair-Sobell received a B.A. (1935) and M.A. (1937) from the University of Melbourne. In 1946, he received a Ph.D. from the University of Graz. He became one of Britain's most accomplished linguists and philogists. St. Clair-Sobell was appointed to the newly-created Chair in Russian and Slavonic Studies in the late 1940s at UBC and he later developed the Department of Slavonic Studies.
From the description of James St.Clair-Sobell fonds. 1944, 1960-1961. (University of British Columbia Library). WorldCat record id: 606455784