James Paterson Ferguson was born on 15 May 1907 at Clydebank, Dumbartonshire. His father, Thomas, was a moulder. James attended Clydebank High School, and graduated BA (Oxon), before attending the University of Glasgow between 1924 and 1928, studying Latin; English; Geography; Logic & Metaphysics; and Moral Philosophy. He won numerous prizes throughout his student career, including First Prize, and the Caird Medal, for Honours Moral Philosophy (1927-1928), and a 1st class certificate in Honours Logic (1927-1928). Ferguson graduated MA 1st class Honours in Philosophy on 20 April 1929 . After leaving university he became a clergyman, and between the 1940s and 1961 he worked at St John's College, Agra, India. Then from c1962 to the early 1990s he was a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, at Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone. Ferguson retired to the Isle of Man, and according to the General Council Register was still there in 1995.
From the guide to the Papers of James Paterson Ferguson, 1907-, arts student, University of Glasgow, Scotland, 1927-1928, (Glasgow University Archive Services)
