John W. Grace

Early life and education He was born in Ottawa, Ontario and attended St. Patrick's High School there. His education continued in Ottawa at St. Patrick's College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts diploma and where he was close classmates with Douglas Roche and John Turner who became federal politicians. he proceeded to Ann Arbor, Michigan where he earned a Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Michigan in 1958. Between 1971 and 1977, Grace was also a member of the Canada Council, serving there for two terms. After the Ottawa Journal closed, Grace was appointed to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission as a full-time commissioner.

Grace served a seven-year term as the first Privacy Commissioner of Canada, starting in 1983. Grace remained Information Commissioner until 1998.

He was a part-time lecturer at the University of Ottawa where he was a member of its board of governors for four terms.