James Alexander Cowan

James Alexander Cowan was a Canadian writer and a public relations consultant. He was born in Shakespeare, Ontario, Canada on October 27, 1901, to Rev. Hugh Cowan and Jean Eloise Wood. He attended the University of Toronto and was the editor of The Goblin, a campus magazine that became the highest selling magazine in Canada. He also worked as a feature writer and editor at the Toronto Star, where he befriended Ernest Hemingway, who served as his best man at his first wedding. Hemingway also gave Cowan a copy of his first published book, Three Stories and Ten Poems, with a personal inscription. Cowan wrote feature articles for Maclean's magazine, Esquire magazine, and other publications, covering topics such as politics, culture, and travel. He also became Canada's first public relations consultant, advising various corporations, politicians, and even President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He had a special interest in the energy industry, especially uranium and radium. He was married three times and had four children. He died on September 9, 1978, in Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada, and was buried in Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada.