Joseph Medill Patterson (January 6, 1879 – May 26, 1946) was an American journalist, publisher and founder of the Daily News in New York. At the time of his death the Daily News maintained a Sunday circulation of 4.5 million copies, the largest circulation of any paper in the United States.
As a scion of a millionaire family, Joseph received a top-flight education, attending Yale University.[1] He briefly left school to report on the Boxer Rebellion in China as a foreign correspondent for the Tribune, returning in time to complete his studies and graduate from Yale in 1901.[1]
Career
Joseph Medill Patterson became one of the most significant newspaper publishers in the United States, founding New York's Daily News and introducing the tabloid. He was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his famous grandfather. His mother, Elinor ("Nellie"), and his aunt, Kate, both named their firstborn sons after their famous father. As a young adult, he asked his father if he could go to China to cover the Boxer Rebellion. Granted permission, he went as a correspondent for William Randolph Hearst but did not arrive in time. He attended Yale University, where he was a member of Scroll and Key.
Upon graduation, he returned to Chicago, and covered the police beat for the Chicago Tribune. Patterson served in the Illinois House of Representatives as a Republican in 1903 and 1904,[2] married and was the father of three daughters by 1906. The youngest, Alicia, explained, "He had wanted a boy, instead of three daughters in succession, and that meant one of the Patterson girls would have to be his substitute son." Nearly 20 years later, in 1923, after his three daughters had become young women, his mistress (and future wife) gave birth to his only son, James Joseph Patterson, in England.
Poster for A Little Brother of the Rich (1919), adapted from Patterson's novel and play
Joseph Medill Patterson feuded with his father and resigned from the Tribune. Patterson moved to a farm in the country, wrote a socialist novel, A Little Brother of the Rich (1908),[3] and published a muckraking article in Collier's magazine. Patterson returned to work at the Tribune by 1910. During World War I he went to Europe with Tribune cameraman Edwin F. Weigle to film the newsreel that would be used in the World War I propaganda filmThe German Side of the War. Screenings of The German Side of the War sold out at theaters.[4] It was one of the only American propaganda films to show the war from Germany's perspective.[5]
After his father died, Patterson took over the management of the Tribune. He had a dispute about how to run the Tribune with his cousin, Robert R. McCormick. After World War I ended, he visited London and observed a newspaper in tabloid form for the first time. Patterson moved to New York City and founded the New York Daily News as a tabloid on June 26, 1919, with McCormick as co-editor and publisher. However, the two were unable to resolve their dispute, so in 1925 Patterson ceded full authority over the Tribune to McCormick in return for full control of the Daily News.
Initially, the Daily News was somewhat more liberal than the Tribune. However, over the years, it became more conservative as Patterson drifted rightward.[6]
Comic strips
He took a hands-on approach to managing the Chicago Tribune Syndicate, distributor for his papers' comic strips. In 1921, he suggested the lead character of Gasoline Alley adopt a foundling child who became Skeezix, a central character in the strip. Patterson influenced Chester Gould's 1931 strip Dick Tracy, changing the title from Plainclothes Tracy, and he supported Gould's vision of a technical, grotesque and violent style of storytelling. Milton Caniff credited Patterson for suggesting a comic strip about the Orient, which led to the creation of Caniff's 1934 strip, Terry and the Pirates.
Caniff recounted Patterson's role in creating Terry in a Time profile, "Escape Artist" (Monday, January 13, 1947):
Patterson... stared coldly at Caniff and asked: "Ever do anything on the Orient?" Caniff hadn't. "You know," Joe Patterson mused, "adventure can still happen out there. There could be a beautiful lady pirate, the kind men fall for." In a few days Caniff was back with samples and 50 proposed titles; Patterson circled Terry and scribbled beside it and the Pirates.
Another item of Patterson comic strip lore is that he rejected Dale Messick's strip Brenda Starr in 1940 because he "had tried a woman cartoonist once... and wanted no more of them." Patterson's assistant, Mollie Slott—later the vice president of the syndicate—saw the discarded samples, and encouraged Messick to change Brenda from a "girl bandit" to a reporter. Patterson grudgingly accepted the strip, but ran it in the Chicago Tribune's Sunday comic section, rather than the daily paper. He refused to run it in the Daily News, which finally carried Brenda Starr, Reporter in 1948, two years after Patterson's death.[7]
^ abcUnited Press International, "New York News Publisher, Joseph M. Patterson, Dies," Great Falls Tribune, vol. 60, no. 13 (May 27, 1946), pp. 1, 6.
^'Illinois Blue Book 1903-1904,' Biographical Sketch of Joseph Medill Paterson, pg. 373
^Joseph Medill Patterson, A Little Brother of the Rich. (Grosset & Dunlap, 1908.
^Isenberg, Michael (1973). War on Film: The American Cinema and World War I, 1914-1941. University of Colorado.
^Ward, Larry Ward (1981). The Motion Picture Goes to War: A Political History of the U.S. Government's Film Effort in the World War, 1914-1918. University of Iowa.
^'Illinois Biographical Dictionary,' Volume 1 - A-J. Caryn Hannan-editor, State History Publications, LCC, Hamburg, Michigan, 2008, Biographical Sketch of Joseph Medill Patterson, pg. 535-537
^Messick, Dale (2012). Brenda Starr, Reporter: The Collected Dailies and Sundays, 1940-1946. Neshannock, PA: Hermes Press. pp. 11–13. ISBN978-1932563801.
Further reading
Olmsted, Kathryn S. The Newspaper Axis: Six Press Barons Who Enabled Hitler (Yale UP, 2022)online also online review
External links
, an article written by Patterson and published in the November 23, 1907 issue of The Saturday Evening Post
, written by Patterson, from Great Poems of the World War, published in 1922
Photos of his grave in Arlington National Cemetery
Works by Joseph Medill Patterson at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
May 19, 2023
joseph, medill, patterson, other, people, named, joseph, patterson, joseph, patterson, disambiguation, january, 1879, 1946, american, journalist, publisher, founder, daily, news, york, time, death, daily, news, maintained, sunday, circulation, million, copies,. For other people named Joseph Patterson see Joseph Patterson disambiguation Joseph Medill Patterson January 6 1879 May 26 1946 was an American journalist publisher and founder of the Daily News in New York At the time of his death the Daily News maintained a Sunday circulation of 4 5 million copies the largest circulation of any paper in the United States Joseph Medill PattersonJoseph Medill PattersonBorn 1879 01 06 January 6 1879DiedMay 26 1946 1946 05 26 aged 67 OccupationJournalistNotable credit s The Chicago TribuneDaily NewsSpouse s Alice HiginbothamMary KingChildrenAlicia PattersonJosephine Medill PattersonJames Joseph PattersonParent s Robert Wilson PattersonElinor MedillRelativesCissy Patterson sister Joseph Medill grandfather Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career 3 Comic strips 4 Legacy 5 Family tree 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksEarly life and education EditJoseph Medill Patterson was born into a newspaper family His mother the former Elinor Medill was a daughter of Joseph Medill founder of the Chicago Tribune and a mayor of Chicago Illinois 1 His father Robert Wilson Patterson Jr was himself a journalist at the Tribune As a scion of a millionaire family Joseph received a top flight education attending Yale University 1 He briefly left school to report on the Boxer Rebellion in China as a foreign correspondent for the Tribune returning in time to complete his studies and graduate from Yale in 1901 1 Career EditJoseph Medill Patterson became one of the most significant newspaper publishers in the United States founding New York s Daily News and introducing the tabloid He was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his famous grandfather His mother Elinor Nellie and his aunt Kate both named their firstborn sons after their famous father As a young adult he asked his father if he could go to China to cover the Boxer Rebellion Granted permission he went as a correspondent for William Randolph Hearst but did not arrive in time He attended Yale University where he was a member of Scroll and Key Upon graduation he returned to Chicago and covered the police beat for the Chicago Tribune Patterson served in the Illinois House of Representatives as a Republican in 1903 and 1904 2 married and was the father of three daughters by 1906 The youngest Alicia explained He had wanted a boy instead of three daughters in succession and that meant one of the Patterson girls would have to be his substitute son Nearly 20 years later in 1923 after his three daughters had become young women his mistress and future wife gave birth to his only son James Joseph Patterson in England Poster for A Little Brother of the Rich 1919 adapted from Patterson s novel and play Joseph Medill Patterson feuded with his father and resigned from the Tribune Patterson moved to a farm in the country wrote a socialist novel A Little Brother of the Rich 1908 3 and published a muckraking article in Collier s magazine Patterson returned to work at the Tribune by 1910 During World War I he went to Europe with Tribune cameraman Edwin F Weigle to film the newsreel that would be used in the World War I propaganda film The German Side of the War Screenings of The German Side of the War sold out at theaters 4 It was one of the only American propaganda films to show the war from Germany s perspective 5 After his father died Patterson took over the management of the Tribune He had a dispute about how to run the Tribune with his cousin Robert R McCormick After World War I ended he visited London and observed a newspaper in tabloid form for the first time Patterson moved to New York City and founded the New York Daily News as a tabloid on June 26 1919 with McCormick as co editor and publisher However the two were unable to resolve their dispute so in 1925 Patterson ceded full authority over the Tribune to McCormick in return for full control of the Daily News Initially the Daily News was somewhat more liberal than the Tribune However over the years it became more conservative as Patterson drifted rightward 6 Comic strips EditHe took a hands on approach to managing the Chicago Tribune Syndicate distributor for his papers comic strips In 1921 he suggested the lead character of Gasoline Alley adopt a foundling child who became Skeezix a central character in the strip Patterson influenced Chester Gould s 1931 strip Dick Tracy changing the title from Plainclothes Tracy and he supported Gould s vision of a technical grotesque and violent style of storytelling Milton Caniff credited Patterson for suggesting a comic strip about the Orient which led to the creation of Caniff s 1934 strip Terry and the Pirates Caniff recounted Patterson s role in creating Terry in a Time profile Escape Artist Monday January 13 1947 Patterson stared coldly at Caniff and asked Ever do anything on the Orient Caniff hadn t You know Joe Patterson mused adventure can still happen out there There could be a beautiful lady pirate the kind men fall for In a few days Caniff was back with samples and 50 proposed titles Patterson circled Terry and scribbled beside it and the Pirates Another item of Patterson comic strip lore is that he rejected Dale Messick s strip Brenda Starr in 1940 because he had tried a woman cartoonist once and wanted no more of them Patterson s assistant Mollie Slott later the vice president of the syndicate saw the discarded samples and encouraged Messick to change Brenda from a girl bandit to a reporter Patterson grudgingly accepted the strip but ran it in the Chicago Tribune s Sunday comic section rather than the daily paper He refused to run it in the Daily News which finally carried Brenda Starr Reporter in 1948 two years after Patterson s death 7 Legacy EditHis son James would serve as vice president and assistant managing editor of the Daily News One of Patterson s grandsons Joseph Albright was married to future US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright for about 23 years Patterson is buried in Arlington National Cemetery Family tree EditvteMedill Chicago family treeJoseph Medill 1823 1899 Katherine PatrickRobert Wilson Patterson 1850 1910 Elinor Medill 1855 1933 Katherine van Etta Medill 1853 1932 Robert Sanderson McCormick 1849 1919 Joseph Medill Patterson 1879 1946 Eleanor Josephine Medill Patterson 1884 1948 Ruth Hanna 1880 1944 Joseph Medill McCormick 1877 1925 Robert Rutherford McCormick 1880 1955 Alicia Patterson 1906 1963 Harry Frank Guggenheim 1890 1971 Jay Frederick Reeve 1893 1956 Josephine Medill Patterson 1913 1996 Ivan Le Lorraine Albright 1897 1983 James Joseph Patterson 1923 1992 Madeleine Jana Korbel 1937 2022 Joseph Medill Patterson Reeve later Albright born 1937 Alice Reeve later Albright 1940 2016 Michael J Arlen born 1930 Notes References Edit a b c United Press International New York News Publisher Joseph M Patterson Dies Great Falls Tribune vol 60 no 13 May 27 1946 pp 1 6 Illinois Blue Book 1903 1904 Biographical Sketch of Joseph Medill Paterson pg 373 Joseph Medill Patterson A Little Brother of the Rich Grosset amp Dunlap 1908 Isenberg Michael 1973 War on Film The American Cinema and World War I 1914 1941 University of Colorado Ward Larry Ward 1981 The Motion Picture Goes to War A Political History of the U S Government s Film Effort in the World War 1914 1918 University of Iowa Illinois Biographical Dictionary Volume 1 A J Caryn Hannan editor State History Publications LCC Hamburg Michigan 2008 Biographical Sketch of Joseph Medill Patterson pg 535 537 Messick Dale 2012 Brenda Starr Reporter The Collected Dailies and Sundays 1940 1946 Neshannock PA Hermes Press pp 11 13 ISBN 978 1932563801 Further reading EditOlmsted Kathryn S The Newspaper Axis Six Press Barons Who Enabled Hitler Yale UP 2022 online also online reviewExternal links EditThe Nickelodeons an article written by Patterson and published in the November 23 1907 issue of The Saturday Evening Post France written by Patterson from Great Poems of the World War published in 1922 Photos of his grave in Arlington National Cemetery Works by Joseph Medill Patterson at LibriVox public domain audiobooks Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Joseph Medill Patterson amp oldid 1147418859, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
