James Leigh Strachan-Davidson (né Strachan; 22 October 1843 – 28 March 1916) was an English classical scholar, academic administrator, translator, and author of books on Roman history.

[9] He actively participated in the Oxford Union, held the posts of secretary and librarian, and was appointed as the president of the society in 1867.

[15][16] Upon Edward Caird's resignation due to poor health, he was unanimously elected as the master of Balliol College,[17] in 1907; a position he held until his death in 1916.

Lord Cromer consulted him about teaching Arabic to men appointed to the Egyptian and Sudanese civil service in 1903–04.

[20] Over the course of his many debates as part of the Oxford Union, he spoke in favour of the Confederate States in the American Civil War,[10] Bismarck's policies, and the end of Turkish rule in Europe.

[24] He believed that the mental and moral discipline, wide view and grasp of fundamentals granted by the study of Literae Humaniores was crucial to the Service and drew up a memorandum to that effect, for its Royal Commission in June 1913.

[31] Strachan-Davidson died on 28 March 1916 due to cerebral hemorrhage caused by atherosclerosis and was buried in Holywell Cemetery in Oxford.