HARPER, John M., Canadian educator, born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland, 10 February, 1845. After studying at the parish school and the Glasgow established church training college, he went to Canada and was graduated at Queen's university, Kingston, Ontario. He subsequently received the degree of Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, after finishing a three years' course in the section of metaphysical science. Before leaving his native country he had received an appointment to an academy in New Brunswick, and, after several years' residence in the maritime provinces, he became the principal of the Victoria high school at St. John, N.B. When this school was destroyed, in the great fire at St. John, Dr. Harper became principal of the Provincial normal school at Charlottetown, Prince Edward island, and afterward professor in the Amalgamated normal school and Prince of Wales college, with special supervision of the training of teachers. He is now inspector of superior schools for the province of Quebec, and editor of the "Educational Record" of Quebec. Dr. Harper was instrumental in establishing a periodical in Nova Scotia devoted to the cultivation of Canadian literature, and has written much in prose and verse, including poems in the Scottish dialect. He has also prepared and published school text books, and is the author of various lectures.