Lord Eric John Francis James was born in 1909 in Derbyshire. He studied at Queen's College at the University of Oxford and graduated with first class honors in chemistry in 1931. James was a teacher at Winchester College for twelve years before he became High Master of Manchester Grammar School in 1945. As head of Manchester Grammar, James demanded the highest standards from his staff and pupils. James believed that the purpose of the school was to take pupils from all echelons of society and give them the platform to reach the highest places in the land. James was also known for his contribution to discussions on the importance of education. He was a member of the University Grants Committee from 1949 to 1959, part of the BBC's Brain's Trust, and also on the Central Advisory Council for Education from 1957 to 1961. James's contribution to education was recognized when he was knighted in 1956 and in 1959 he was made a life peer, becoming Baron James of Rusholme. In 1962 he was invited to become the first Vice-Chancellor of the newly founded University of York, which was formally opened in October 1963. As Vice-Chancellor at the University of York, James helped created one of the best post-war higher education institutions. James played a major role in the architectural plans designed for the University and his input was responsible for the University operating a collegiate system - James wanting the students of the University to feel as though they part of a small close-knit community. He was Chairman of the Headmaster's Conference and was asked to conduct the 1971 report on the Education and Training of Teachers, which concluded that teaching should become a graduate profession. James was also a member of the Royal Fine Arts Commission, from 1973 to 1976, and its Chairman, from 1976 to 1979. James died in May 1992.
Lord James of Rusholme in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography .
From the guide to the Papers of Lord James of Rusholme, 1940-1982, (Borthwick Institute, University of York)
