Clement George McCullagh (March 16, 1905 – August 5, 1952) was an influential Canadian newspaper owner between 1936 and 1952. He created ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

'' by merging the Liberal-allied ''

Globe A globe is a spherical Earth, spherical Model#Physical model, model of Earth, of some other astronomical object, celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but, unlike maps, they do not distort the surface ...

'' and Conservative-allied '' Mail and Empire'' newspapers in 1936. He was also actively involved in Canadian politics and later owned the '' Toronto Telegram'' newspaper.

Early life

McCullagh was born to Anne Catherine McCullagh, a housewife, and George H. McCullagh, a local cabinet maker, in

London, Ontario London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River (Ontario), Thames River and N ...

, on March 16, 1905. As a youth, he delivered the ''Globe'' newspaper to local homes and built a reputation for sales within the newspaper's circulation department.Ken W. MacTaggart. "George McCullagh Dies" ''

''. August 6, 1952, p3. He dropped out of school with only a

ninth grade Ninth grade (also 9th grade or grade 9) is the ninth or tenth Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education in some countries. It is generally part of middle school or secondary school depending on country. Students i ...

education. The ''Globe'' rejected his request to be a junior reporter; instead employing him as a subscription agent in London at age 16. He quickly earned several promotions, moved to Toronto and finally shifted into the editorial department. He was the assistant financial editor with a specialization in northern mining development by age 22.

Financial career

He left the ''Globe'' to become a floor man at the

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for Milner, Ross and Co. and specialized in oil, mining and gold share sales. He later partnered with Richard Barrett to establish the firm Barrett, McCullagh and Co. By age 30, he was estimated to be worth more than a million dollars.

''The Globe and Mail''

McCullagh purchased the ''Globe'' for $1.3 million and ''Mail and Empire'' for $2.5 million in 1936. The first publication of the ''Globe and Mail'' was distributed in Toronto on November 23, 1936. McCullagh named himself the publisher. The

Ontario Liberal Party The Ontario Liberal Party (OLP; , PLO) is a political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. The party has been led by Bonnie Crombie since December 2023. The party espouses the principles of liberalism, with their rival the Progressive Co ...

, including Premier Mitchell Hepburn, believed ''The Globe and Mail'' would be a strong ally. McCullagh had served as a principal adviser to Hepburn's successful 1934 election bid and, in 1936, Hepburn appointed McCullagh to the Board of Governors of the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

. Editorials and articles in the first editions were supportive of the provincial government, but within a year, McCullagh became discontented and pushed the Ontario

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

and Liberal parties to form a

coalition government A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a government by political parties that enter into a power-sharing arrangement of the executive. Coalition governments usually occur when no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an ...

. Hepburn proposed the option to the Conservatives but, after leader Earl Rowe accepted, they refused. McCullagh launched a series of radio broadcasts in 1939 to promote his nonpartisan vision for Canadian politics. The series led to the creation of the Leadership League, an early concept lobby group for stronger and smaller government and a one party system directed by business interests—a concept criticized as "

fascist Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...

" by opponents such as the ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...

''. The league achieved an estimated 101,900 ballots for membership but was underfunded and disorganized. McCullagh folded it within a year. McCullagh later supported the Ontario Conservative Party and its leader George A. Drew.

''Toronto Telegram''

In 1946, at age 43, McCullagh bought the 72-year-old '' Toronto Telegram'' for $3.6 million."Founder John Ross Robertson made the Telegram explosive force in life of Toronto", Ralph Hyman, ''The Globe and Mail'', September 20, 1971, p. 8. The purchase gave him control of two of the three big daily newspapers in Toronto with a daily circulation of 414,515.

Thoroughbred racing

George McCullagh owned and raced Thoroughbred racehorses. In 1939 his colt Archworth won Canada's most prestigious race, the King's Plate. The event was also noteworthy for the attendance of

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

and Queen Elizabeth.

Death

McCullagh died on August 5, 1952, at the age of 47, committing suicideRichard James Doyle. ''Hurly-burly: A Time at the Globe and Mail''. Toronto: Macmillan of Canada. 1990. following a lengthy illness that included three heart attacks.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCullagh, George 1905 births 1952 deaths Businesspeople from London, Ontario 20th-century Canadian newspaper publishers (people) The Globe and Mail founders Canadian racehorse owners and breeders 1952 suicides The Globe and Mail editors Suicides in Canada Owners of King's Plate winners