[1] Born in Lachine, Canada East, he began his newspaper career working for the London Free Press.

He would own the Ottawa Citizen, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Winnipeg Tribune, Windsor Star and Montreal Gazette.

His youngest son, Gordon, was a graduate of Upper Canada College and the University of Toronto would become briefly assistant manager at the Spectator[4] before serving as a Major in the Canadian Field Artillery of the 8th Brigade and 40th Battery, in World War I.

[5][6] Harry Stevenson (formerly with Montreal Gazette and later executive assistant in Ottawa) and Wilson Mills (former executive assistant at Hamilton Spectator and President of Southam Limited[7]) were co-publishers of the Ottawa Citizen,[8] Frederick Neil was Chairman of Southam Publishing until his death in 1946.

[10] Richard Southham ran the Mail Job Printing Company of Toronto.