Edmison, John Alexander

Person

Edmison, John Alexander

1903-1980

John Alexander Edmison, Q.C., was appointed a Member of the four-man National Parole Board on January 1st, 1959. Previously he has been Assistant to the Principal of Queen's University, having special concern with all matters of public relations and endowment. Mr. Edmison was born at Cheltenham, in the County of Peel, Ontario. Educated in Arts at Queen's University and in Law at McGill, Mr. Edmison practiced law in Montreal until his enlistment with the Black Watch, Royal Highland Regiment of Canada, in 1940. At that time he was an Alderman of the Montreal City County and a Member of the Montreal Board of Health. Mr. Edmison served overseas from June 1941 until January 1, 1945, when he was appointed by UNRRA as its Chief Liaison Officer to Supreme Head-quarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). In France and Germany he set up the organization for the care of refugees, displaced persons, and concentration camp survivors. In this connection he received citations from Generals Eisenhower and DeGaulle. A writer and speaker on penology criminology, Mr. Edmison since the 1920's was interested in crime prevention, penal reform and in the welfare of ex-prisoners. He was a member of the four-man Fauteux Committee appointed by the Minister of Justice to study probation, parole and clemency problems generally (1953-56). Mr. Edmison was married to the former Alice Vercoe, a McGill graduate. They had three daughters. On his retirement the Edmisons moved to Peterborough, where Mr. Edmison died in 1980.

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