Jean Drapeau was born in Rosemont district in 1916. His father was an insurance agent. He studied law at the Université de Montréal. As a lawyer, he was also interested in politics. He was defeated at the federal and provincial elections, but was successful at the municipal level. His reputation grew when he led a public inquiry into police corruption.
When he was elected mayor of Montréal in 1954, he was only 38. He lost the next election, but he ruled Montréal from 1960 to 1986. In 1945, he married Marie-Claire Boucher. They had three sons. He died in 1999.