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 Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'' by merging the Liberal-allied ''

Globe A globe is a spherical model of Earth, of some other celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but unlike maps, they do not distort the surface that they portray except to scale it down. A model glo ...

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

Toronto Telegram ''The Toronto Evening Telegram'' was a conservative, broadsheet afternoon newspaper published in Toronto from 1876 to 1971. It had a reputation for supporting the Conservative Party at the federal and the provincial levels. The paper competed w ...

'' newspaper.

Early life

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

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) 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, approximate ...

, 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 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

Toronto Stock Exchange The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX; french: Bourse de Toronto) is a stock exchange located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the 10th largest exchange in the world and the third largest in North America based on market capitalization. Based in the ...

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; french: Parti libéral de l'Ontario, PLO) is a political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. The party has been led by interim leader John Fraser since August 2022. The party espouses the principles of li ...

, including Premier

Mitchell Hepburn Mitchell Frederick Hepburn (August 12, 1896 – January 5, 1953) was the 11th premier of Ontario, from 1934 to 1942. He was the youngest premier in Ontario history, appointed at age 37. He was the only Ontario Liberal Party leader in the 20th cent ...

, 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 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...

. 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 that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

and Liberal parties to form a coalition government. 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" by opponents such as the ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and pa ...

''. 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 ''

'' 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 The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are con ...

. 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 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 People 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