James K. Gordon (born March 6, 1937) is a Canadian politician, who served as mayor of Sudbury, Ontario from 1976 to 1981 and from 1991 to 2003, and as a Member of Provincial Parliament for the provincial electoral district of Sudbury from 1981 to 1987. He briefly served in the Executive Council of Ontario, holding the position of Minister of Government Services in 1985. He is Sudbury's longest-serving mayor, having served a total of 17 years. In 2000, the Canadian edition of Reader's Digest named him one of the three most influential and innovative mayors in Canada. Early life and education Gordon was born in Rouyn-Noranda in 1937, and grew up in Sudbury. He was part of the first graduating class of St. Charles College. During high school he was president of the student council and hosted his own radio program, Time for Teens, Saturdays between 1951 and 1955 on CKSO radio in Sudbury. He competed in distance running, one and two mile, in track and field. He achieved his Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) at Assumption University in 1960. In his final year of university, he married Donna Drew. In 1961, they returned to Greater Sudbury, Ontario. In addition to CKSO Radio and Television, Gordon worked in sales for UPJOHN Pharmaceuticals and then became a secondary school teacher. Jim and Donna Gordon raised six daughters and now have ten grandchildren. Teaching career Gordon taught English in the secondary school system in Greater Sudbury over the course of four decades. He also held a specialist in Library Science and was responsible for the Resource Centre at Nickel District Secondary School for some of his tenure at the school. Gordon taught at the following secondary schools, returning to education at various junctures of his political career: St. Charles College – 1961 to 1965 Espanola High School – 1965 to 1966 Confederation High School – 1965 to 1968 St. Charles College – 1968 to 1969 Nickel District Secondary School – 1969 to 1976 Sudbury Secondary School – 1988 to 1991 Political career Gordon served on the town council of Espanola in 1965 before moving back to Sudbury. He ran as a Progressive Conservative candidate in the Sudbury constituency in the 1967 election, but was not elected. He was elected to Sudbury City Council in 1971, and became mayor in 1976. He served until 1981, and ran for a second time as the Progressive