James A. Barclay
Encyclopedia
James Alexander Barclay (born October 29, 1923) is a Scottish Canadian
oil industry scientist and executive, golf
er, and golf historian
. He was elected to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame
in 2008.
Barclay was born in Glasgow
, Scotland
. He began golf as a youth, with cut-down hickory-shafted clubs. He graduated from Glasgow University in Applied Chemistry
, and spent his career working in the oil industry, eventually reaching the vice-president level.
Barclay moved to Canada
in 1968, retired in 1983, and became the curator
of the golf museum
of the Royal Canadian Golf Association
. He became interested in Canadian golf history, and wrote several magazine articles on that subject.
In 1992, Barclay wrote Golf in Canada: A History, a 626-page volume which is the most comprehensive work on the subject published to date. He is a member of St. George's Golf and Country Club
in Toronto
.
Scottish Canadian
Scottish Canadians are people of Scottish descent or heritage living in Canada. As the third-largest ethnic group in Canada and among the first to settle in Canada, Scottish people have made a large impact on Canadian culture since colonial times...
oil industry scientist and executive, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er, and golf historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
. He was elected to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame
Canadian Golf Hall of Fame
The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum and hall of fame covering the history of the game of golf in Canada, and celebrating the careers and accomplishments of the most significant contributors to the game in that country...
in 2008.
Barclay was born in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He began golf as a youth, with cut-down hickory-shafted clubs. He graduated from Glasgow University in Applied Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, and spent his career working in the oil industry, eventually reaching the vice-president level.
Barclay moved to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1968, retired in 1983, and became the curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of the golf museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
of the Royal Canadian Golf Association
Royal Canadian Golf Association
Golf Canada, formerly known as the Royal Canadian Golf Association is the governing body of golf in Canada.-Beginnings:The RCGA was founded on June 6, 1895 as the Canadian Golf Association at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club. The Royal prefix was granted to the CGA in June 1896 by Queen Victoria through...
. He became interested in Canadian golf history, and wrote several magazine articles on that subject.
In 1992, Barclay wrote Golf in Canada: A History, a 626-page volume which is the most comprehensive work on the subject published to date. He is a member of St. George's Golf and Country Club
St. George's Golf and Country Club
St. George's Golf and Country Club is a golf course and country club located in Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario in the west end neighbourhood of Islington...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Major works
- Golf in Canada: A History, by James A. Barclay, TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, McClelland and StewartMcClelland and StewartMcClelland & Stewart Limited is a Canadian publishing company. It is partially owned by Random House of Canada, now a subsidiary of Bertelsmann....
, 1992, ISBN 0-7710-1080-X. - The Toronto Terror, by James A. Barclay. The book is a biography of Canadian golf course architect Stanley ThompsonStanley ThompsonStanley Thompson was a Canadian golf course architect. He was a co-founder of the American Society of Golf Course Architects....
.