fonds F0308 - James Gripton fonds.

James Macpherson Gripton was born in Toronto Ontario on October 19, 1921. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 1945 in Honours Psychology, a Bachelor of Social Work in 1948 and a Master of Social Work in 1958. During these years, Gripton worked in various areas (Central YMCA (1945-1946), Big Brother movement (1946-1947), first president of the Toronto Local, Social Services Employees Union of America, Toronto Children's Aid Society (1951-1956), and Director of Training and Personnel (1956-1960). Gripton also co-created Camp Robin Hood with Don Franco and Murray Thomson (the first urban day camp in Toronto).

In 1960 he joined the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto, and pursued his doctorate at the same time, graduating in 1967. In 1968 Gripton moved to Ottawa to teach at the St. Patrick's School of Social Welfare, University of Ottawa (which later moved to Carleton University). During a sabbatical in 1972-1973, Gripton joined the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver where he remained teaching to 1976. Gripton then moved to the University of Calgary's Faculty of Social Work and also developed his clinical private practice, focusing on sexuality.

Through-out his life, Gripton was at the forefront of the social work profession, applying statistical analysis, encouraging students in the use of computers in their theses, he was the first Consultant on Welfare Research and Principal Grants Officer for the Department of National Health and Welfare, and developed an elective on Human Sexuality at Carleton University. Gripton was an educator, consultant, advocate for social justice, social worker, and researcher. He died in Calgary on November 1, 2005.