Fonds F3041 - Jack Dillon fonds

John Michael "Jack" Dillon, 1883-1948, was born in Limerick, Ireland and moved with his family to Chicago, Illinois, USA at the age of three. After a year at the University of Chicago, Dillon moved to Nebraska to work in the ranching industry. He later lived in the Dakotas and Iowa before settling in Montana. During the First World War he was in charge of the French Army's remount department in Boston, Massachusetts. After the war he moved to Alberta where he worked on the OH Ranch before establishing a livestock commission business in Calgary. He was also active in the petroleum industry.

Dillon was prominently involved with the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede for the entire time he lived in the province, as a judge, staff member and director. His involvements also included the Boy Scouts, the Calgary Zoo, St. Mary's Cathedral, the Alberta Liberal Association, Holy Cross Hospital, St. Joseph's College, International Rodeo Association, Western Stock Growers Association, and the Cowboy's Protective Association. Dillon and his wife Jessie Alice, 1882-1981, had two children, John Michael Dillon Jr. 1907-?, and Mary Dorothy "Sis" Dillon, 1910-1975. Jack Dillon is a member of the Canadian Professional Rodeo Hall of Fame.