Centenarian James Elliott Coyne, the second governor of the Bank of Canada, holds a special place in our nation’s history and exemplifies the prominent role Manitobans have played in the public service of our country. Named Canada’s Newsmaker of the Year in 1961, his fiscal prudence and insistence on the autonomy of the central bank played a valued role in promoting this important principle of independence worldwide. Born in Winnipeg in 1910, he is a graduate of the University of Manitoba and a Rhodes Scholar. He began his career with the Bank of Canada’s research department in 1938 before filling several important positions including secretary of the Foreign Exchange Control Board, financial attaché with the Canadian Embassy in Washington, and chairman of the Wartime Prices and Trade Board. Mr. Coyne also served in the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II. As deputy governor of the Bank of Canada from 1950 to 1954, and then as governor from 1955 to 1961, his positions helped define the central bank’s ongoing relationship with the national government and the chartered banks.
