Clarkson Gordon & Co

Clarkson Men masked their aggressive, innovative energies behind an acceptably circumspect façade of unrelenting hard work, iron-willed self-control, and unerring good manners".

[2] Those matters of being a gentleman; what the Globe described as the difference between an accountant and a "Clarkson Man" differed in its description over the years, the Globe's 1965 description was eventually expanded to include: a quiet self-confidence, a willingness to work weekends and holidays and above all, to be willing to lose—or perhaps more aptly leave—a client if the financial data underpinning an audit was misleading.

The firm's training, particularly the writings of Geoffrey Teignmouth Clarkson and ERC,[4] have been used as foundations of the insolvency and bankruptcy law of Canada.

As early as 1857, Thomas had served in a proto-auditor role on behalf of the shareholders of the Bank of Toronto known as a "Scrutineer".

A year later, Thomas suffered a paralytic stroke, ERC was not yet 21 and barred from being appointed a receiver by the province of Upper Canada, ERC formed a partnership with Mr Munro which they called Clarkson & Munro, operating out of the Exchange Buildings at 34 Wellington Street.

[9] ERC, a prominent member and president of the Toronto Board of Trade, an organisation which his father, Thomas Clarkson (Upper Canada) helped found, used the venue to promote insolvency reform.

Geoffrey Teignmouth Clarkson, who eventually became the managing partner after ERC's retirement, joined the firm following his qualification as an accountant at 15 in 1893.

Toronto's Hush magazine claimed in the 1930s that GT was known as "Jesus Christ" amongst the Provincial Conservatives in Queen's Park.

[12] GT's opinion was deemed critical when drafting the Banking Act 1923 and no changes to the legislation when in committee were to be made without his approval.

[13] GT, like his father, provided the accounting and auditing services of the firm to non-profit and charity organisations, particularly educational institutions free of charge.

[14] ERC provided the auditing for the University of Toronto until his death and the Canadian Bankers' Association [15] By the 1930s, Colonel Gordon's son, Walter Gordon joined the firm alongside GT's three sons, Robert Curzon, Geoffrey Perry, and Fredrick Curzon.