Fonds consists of diaries, correspondence, notes, speeches, memoranda, and newspaper clippings relating to Ralston's political and military careers, as well as to his personal life. Some topics included in the fonds are: National Defense, conscription, National selective service and manpower and various Royal Commissions.
Fonds also contains photographs depicting activities of J.L. Ralston during World War I, scenes from World War II, portraits of Ralston and family as well as miscellaneous photographs.
Fonds includes situation and topographic maps pertaining to World War II.
The fonds also consists of steel engravings, by the British American Bank Note Company Ltd., of Sir Charles Tupper, Sir Robert Borden, Winston Churchill, W.L.M. King and the Parliament Buildings; a printed poem entitled "In Flanders Now"; and one cartoon by Derso and Kelen.
Included are sound recordings of a speech by King George V at the opening of the Naval Conference; a speech by J.L. Ralston; a biography of Ralston; and a talk by Ralston.
In addition, the fonds also contains a portrait of an unknown member of the Ralston family (1909) and a drawing of J.L. Ralston.
Ralston, James Layton, 1881-1948 : James Layton Ralston was born in Amherst, Nova Scotia, and educated at Amherst Academy and Dalhousie law school. From 1903 to 1930, he practiced law intermittently in Amherst. In 1911, he was elected to the Nova Scotia Assembly for Cumberland. Re-elected in 1916, he was defeated in the provincial elections of 1920 and 1925. From October 1916 to June 1919, Ralston served as an officer with the 85th Canadian Infantry Battalion. In 1918, Lieut.-Col. Ralston became the commanding officer of the 85th Battalion, Nova Scotia Highlanders. He was promoted to the rank of Colonel in 1924. After his distinguished military service, J.L. Ralston became Privy Councillor and was appointed the Minister of National Defence in the King cabinet of 1926. Winning a by-election one month later, he served as federal member of parliament for the constituency of Shelburne-Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, until 1935, when he did not stand for re-election but resumed a law practice in Montreal. In 1930, he served as Canadian delegate to the London Naval Conference. Between the wars he served on the Royal Commission on Soldier's Pensions, the Royal Commission on the Bren Gun Contract, and the Royal Grain Inquiry Commission. In September 1939, Ralston was appointed Minister of Finance and subsequently re-elected to the House of Commons in a by-election in January and in a general election in March 1940 for the constituency of Prince, P.E.I. In January 1940, he became the Minister of National Defence, resigning this position in 1944 over the conscription issue. Ralston did not stand for re-election in 1945.
