John Joseph Kelso (31 March 1864 – 30 September 1935) was a newspaper reporter and social crusader who immigrated to Canada from Ireland with his family in 1874 when he was ten years old. They suffered hardships of hunger and cold in their early years in Toronto and, throughout his life, this motivated Kelso's compassion towards the poor and unfortunate.
While a reporter for the World and the Globe, Kelso founded the Toronto Humane Society in 1887 for the prevention of cruelty to children and animals, the Fresh Air Fund and the Santa Claus Fund in 1888 to provide excursions and cheer for poor women and children, and the Children's Aid Society (Canada) in 1891.
Childhood and youth
Born in Dundalk, Ireland, midway between Belfast and Dublin. His father, George, made penniless through a fire in his starch manufacturing business, had decided to try his fortunes in Canada. His wife, Anna, and their six girls and three boys followed him to Toronto. The family immigrated to Canada when John was ten years old. In the fall of that year they suffered from hunger and cold resulting in J.J. helping his family's desperate situation by finding odd jobs and to pick up what bits of firewood he could find.
At age 11, he skipped school and got a job at James Bain's bookstore on King Street East. The ensuing years found him sometimes at John Street Public School or Ryerson Public School, sometimes a messenger for the Dominion Telegraph Company and sometimes a cash boy in Timothy Eaton's dry goods store.
At age 20, with a spotty school record, he enrolled at Jarvis Collegiate and, with the help of private tuition, graduated in one year. But he drew his skill as a writer and speaker from the many nights when, as a growing boy, huddled beside a coal oil lamp for light and warmth, he studied the bible and Shakespeare.
As a journalist, he saw first-hand the misery of the street children of his day – youngsters often only five or six years old selling newspapers or begging for money so their parents could pay for drink. He was indignant that these children were being educated for a life of crime and that nobody seemed to care.
In 1887, he wrote an article in his paper about this and the need for an organisation that would prevent cruelty to children as well to the workhorses that pulled the wagons and streetcars on which the city was dependent for its livelihood. Encouraged by the positive response, he founded the Toronto Humane Society to address these issues.
The Crusading Journalist
J.J. followed his journalistic dreams for some years, starting as a printer's apprentice. Soon he had the job of proofreader at The World, a Toronto newspaper. In his spare time he wrote articles for the paper without remuneration and became expert at reading and writing shorthand. This led to his promotion to police reporter.
His success as a reporter led eventually to a job at The Globe, also a Toronto newspaper.
At The Globe he exposed the circumstances under which the poor, particularly poor children, lived. His interest in this issue arose from an incident he witnessed when he was 14 years old. He had watched in bewilderment as five of his companions were arrested for petty theft and thrown into jail with hardened adult offenders. This event remained with J.J. throughout his life and led him to campaign against the inadequacy of legislation to deal with children's misdemeanours.
Later, as a reporter, he saw children selling newspapers on the street, only to have their earnings taken by their parents for drink. Working nights, he often talked to homeless children living on the streets and what he saw and learned from them added to his knowledge about the misery of the lives of many Toronto's young people.
The Children's Advocate
When John Joseph Kelso retired in 1934, the New York Survey said: "We propose him for Canada's Hall of Fame. If she hasn't a Hall of Fame, we propose that she establish one for him."