Jack McClelland

Who was Jack McClelland?

John Gordon "Jack" McClelland CC was a Canadian publisher.

Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, he attended the University of Toronto Schools, St. Andrew's College, and then the University of Toronto, interrupting his studies to serve in the Royal Canadian Navy in the Battle of the Atlantic. McClelland began working for McClelland and Stewart, his father's company, in 1946, becoming president in 1961. Under his control, the company promoted Canadian literature and encouraged Canadian authors such as Margaret Atwood, Pierre Berton, Leonard Cohen, Farley Mowat and Mordecai Richler. He introduced a popular series of Canadian authors in paperback, making Canadian writing more accessible to the general public. In 1985, he sold the company.

Many of the current heads of Canadian publishing companies got their start at McClelland and Stewart while Jack McClelland was running the company.

In 1976 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Companion in 2000.

He had been in poor health for some time when he died in Toronto in 2004 at the age of 81.

Leonard Cohen expressed his gratitude to McClelland by dedicating his 2004 album Dear Heather to him. The liner notes read "In memory of Jack McClelland, 1922-2004"