James Scott Macdonald (April 15, 1910 – December 12, 1976) was a Canadian diplomat and civil servant. He served in the Canadian foreign service for over three decades, holding several senior diplomatic postings during the Cold War era.
Early Life and Education Macdonald was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He attended the University of Toronto, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1931. He subsequently studied at the School of Oriental Studies at the University of London.
Diplomatic Career Macdonald joined the Department of External Affairs (now Global Affairs Canada) in 1936. His early assignments included postings to the Canadian High Commission in London and the Canadian Legation in Washington, D.C.
Key appointments in his career included:
- Counsellor at the Canadian Embassy in Moscow (1944–1946): He served during a critical period of Soviet-Western relations near the end of World War II and the early onset of the Cold War.
- Deputy High Commissioner for Canada in London (1949–1952).
- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Israel (1954–1957): He was Canada's first resident Ambassador to Israel following the establishment of formal diplomatic relations.
- High Commissioner to India (1957–1961): He served concurrently as High Commissioner to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).
- Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland (1961–1964).
- Ambassador to Austria (1964–1967): He served concurrently as Canada's Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Vienna.
Later Life Following his retirement from the foreign service in 1967, Macdonald resided in Ottawa. He died in Ottawa on December 12, 1976.
