John Stephen Willison
Sir John Stephen Willison, FRSC (November 9, 1856 – May 27, 1927) was a Canadian newspaperman, author, and businessman. Born near Hills Green, Huron County, Upper Canada, the son of Stephen Willison, a blacksmith, and Jane Abram, Willison left school at the age of 15. After working as an assistant teacher and a clerk, he started working in journalism with the "London Advertiser" in 1881 and then with the "Globe" in 1883. In 1886, he reported from the Parliamentary Press Gallery in Ottawa, Ontario. While in Ottawa he became friends with future Prime Minister of Canada Wilfrid Laurier . In 1890, Willison was appointed editor of the "Globe". In 1900, he was elected president of the Canadian Press Association and became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. In 1903, his book "Sir Wilfrid Laurier and the Liberal party: a political history" was published. In 1902, he left the Globe and went to work at "The Toronto Evening News". In 1908, he was appointed the Canadian correspondent of the British newspaper "The Times". In 1919, his memoir "Reminiscences, political and personal" was published. In 1913, he was made a Knight Bachelor. He died in Toronto in 1927. John