John William Bernard Sisam was born at Springhill, Nova Scotia. He was educated in Moncton and Fredericton, and he graduated in 1931 from the University of New Brunswick with the degree of Bachelor of the Science of Forestry. Subsequently, he received a Master of Forestry degree, magna cum laude, at the School of Forestry, Yale University, 1937. Both before and after graduation, he was engaged in silvicultural research with the Dominion Forest Service. In May 1939 he was appointed Director, Imperial Forestry Bureau, Oxford and remained in this position until 1945 when he became Associate Professor of Forestry at the University of Toronto. Two years later he was appointedDean of the Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, and has continued as its head during the past thirteen years.