Jesse O. McCarthy (November 10, 1867 — 1937) was a Toronto insurance executive and politician and an early member of Canada's Baháʼí Faith community.
In the 1912 Toronto municipal election he was elected to the Toronto Board of Control and was re-elected in 1913 and 1914 and is credited with establishing Toronto's juvenile court, the first in Canada,[1] and advocated on improvements to sanitation, food safety, the water and milk supply, lighting, and education.
[2] McCarthy ran for Mayor of Toronto in the 1915 Toronto municipal election but was defeated by Thomas Langton Church who won 26,041 votes to McCarthy's 19,573.
[3] McCarthy had been endorsed by the Toronto Daily Star which praised his record as a social reformer crediting him with leading the playground movement in the city as well as using his position on council to improve water treatment and sanitation to reduce the spread of disease, and builf improved hospitals.
[4] Originally a Methodist,[1] McCarthy and his wife became members of the small Baháʼí community in Toronto.