A native of Vancouver, John V. Clyne began his career in the field of law, attending the University of British Columbia and called to the British Columbia bar in 1927. Twenty years later, he was appointed Chairman of the Canadian Maritime Commission, overseeing the transition of wartime shipping to peace-time use. He returned to the west in 1950, and was appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia where he helmed several high profile Royal Commissions and Inquiries.

In 1957, the Honourable John V. Clyne left the court and joined MacMillan Bloedel, one of Canada’s largest forest products companies, as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Following his retirement in 1973, he led several federal government projects, including the Institute for Research on Public Policy and a committee on the Implications of Telecommunication on Canadian Sovereignty. An active member of many corporate and charitable Boards, the Honourable John V. Clyne also served as Chancellor of the University of British Columbia for six years. The Honourable John V. Clyne was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame in 1989.