10 Facts About James MacCallum

James Metcalfe MacCallum was a Canadian ophthalmologist and one of the most important patrons of Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven.

James MacCallum was born in Richmond Hill, north of Toronto, but due to his father, a Methodist minister, being sent to the area, spent part of his early life on the rural shores of Georgian Bay and Muskoka.

James MacCallum studied medicine at the University of Toronto and later earned his doctorate in medicine at the same university.

James MacCallum was affiliated with the Toronto General Hospital and Hospital for Sick Children.

James MacCallum was an influential member of the Medical Council of Canada and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

When Jackson for want of funds spoke of leaving Canada for greater opportunity, MacCallum offered to pay his expenses for a year so he could stay in Canada and paint.

James MacCallum used his funds to pay for a quarter of the construction costs of the Studio Building as a permanent workspace for artists in Toronto.

When Tom Thomson died, it was James MacCallum who paid for the memorial cairn in Algonquin Park.

James MacCallum became close friends with Thomson and the Group of Seven artists.

James MacCallum died in 1943 leaving his large art collection to the National Gallery of Canada.