James Hermiston Aitchison (1908 – July 12, 1994) was a Canadian academic and politician and leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party. Born in Innerleithen, Scotland, he was the son of James Charles Aitchison and Elizabeth Fleming. He came to Canada at an early age and was raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He received his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education from the University of Saskatchewan. He would go on to earn a Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of London and a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto.