Grattan O'Leary

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Michael Grattan O'Leary (February 19, 1888-April 7, 1976) was a journalist, publisher and a member of the Canadian Senate.

He was born in Percé, in the Gaspé, Quebec on Feburary 19, 1888. He spent two years at sea before entering the field of journalism with the St. John Standard. He began work at the Ottawa Journal in 1911. He later became editor of the paper. He was a member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery for more than 20 years and is one of a handful of Canadian journalists whose name is carved in stone in the Hall of Fame in the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa.

At various times, he was the Ottawa correspondent of The Times, a contributor to British, United States and Canadian magazines, and was Canadian Editor of Collier's.

He has attended imperial and international conferences in London, Washington, and Canberra, and was at the Potsdam Conference at the close of the Second World War.

He took a very an active interest in public affairs. He ran as a Tory candidate in the Federal Riding of Gaspé in the General Election of 1925 but was defeated. He was a confidant of a number of Prime Ministers, including Arthur Meighen and John Diefenbaker. He chaired the O'Leary Royal Commission on Publications. O'Leary was appointed to the Senate in 1962.

He also served as the Rector of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario in 1968.

He died in Ottawa on April 7, 1976.

He is the grandfather of Barry O'Leary, of Greenwich, Connecticut and Sheila O'Leary of Toronto.