Fred Jacob (occasionally shown as Fred Jacobs in some publications about his work; 31 October 1882 – 3 June 1928)[1] was a journalist with Toronto's The Mail and Empire (now The Globe and Mail), and joined the publication after winning the publication's poetry contest.[2]
He was first a sports reporter but from 1910 on, Jacob was responsible for the literary section of the newspaper; he was also the drama and music critic.[3][2][4] Occasionally, he wrote about drama in the Canadian Magazine.[5][6]
Early years
Jacob was born in Elora, Ontario on 31 October 1882, the son of a lawyer and the nephew of a judge.[7] As a child, he particularly enjoyed lacrosse. Later in life, while living in Toronto, he was the president of a lacrosse club for 16 years.[2]
Fictional works
Jacob wrote two novels, The Day Before Yesterday (published in 1925) and Peevee (1928),[8] both satirical works,[9] and set in a fictional small communities resembling Elora; the first book included some characters resembling residents of the town.[2]
He wrote that his intention in the books was to "preserve an impression of the Canadian scene".[10] A review of the first book provided this comment: "To the structure of Canadian literature Mr. Fred Jacob has contributed not only a substantial brick but a graceful vine."[11]
Jacob also wrote several popular stage plays, including One third of a bill and Autumn Blooming.[12][13][2][14]
Legacy
Jacob suffered from rheumatic fever as a child, and died on 3 June 1928 of a heart attack during a social function.[2][15] An obituary in Saturday Night referred to him as the "ablest critic on drama of the daily press in Toronto", praising "the soundness of his judgements and clearness of his expositions".[16]
^Parker, Charles Whately; Greene, Barnet M., eds. (1922). Who's Who in Canada, Volume 16. International Press. p. 584. Retrieved 16 July 2020 – via Google Books.
