Cleveland Press
Encyclopedia
The Cleveland Press was a daily American
newspaper
published in Cleveland, Ohio
from November 2, 1878, through June 17, 1982. From 1928 to 1966, the paper's editor was Louis Seltzer.
The paper may be best remembered for its controversial role in the 1954 Sam Sheppard
murder case.
During the 1920s, the Press reached nearly 200,000 in circulation and stood out by proposing the city manager
form of government for Cleveland, while also supporting Progressive
candidate Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
for president in 1924
. Seltzer became the paper's 12th editor in 1928, and stressed the area's neighborhoods, promoting the slogan "The Newspaper That Serves Its Readers."
The paper endorsed winning mayoral candidates Frank J. Lausche
and Anthony J. Celebrezze
.
However, in 1954, the Presss role in the prosecution of Dr. Sam Sheppard for the murder of his wife, Marilyn, eventually made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court
. The paper's aggressive coverage and goading of local officials to charge Sheppard with the murder resulted in a ruling that pre-trial publicity had been injurious to Sheppard and resulted in a new trial in 1966.
In January 1960, the paper's owner, the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain, purchased Press rival the Cleveland News
and merged it to become the city's only afternoon newspaper. Four years later, the Press was named one of America's 10 best newspapers in a list compiled by Time magazine, but under Seltzer's successor, Thomas L. Boardman, the Press began a decline that was shared in general with other large afternoon dailies throughout the country.
The Press was passed in circulation by The Plain Dealer in 1968, and after Boardman's retirement in 1979, rumors began circulating that the Press would shortly suspend publication unless a buyer could be found. Scripps-Howard sold the paper on October 31, 1980, to Cleveland businessman Joseph E. Cole
, who purchased the paper only after gaining concessions from the employee unions.
Cole introduced a Sunday edition on August 2, 1981, followed by a morning edition on March 22, 1982. However, a bad economy, coupled with losses in advertising resulted in the paper's closing just three months later.
The remnants of the paper live on in the Cleveland Press Collection at the Cleveland State University
library. The collection consists of clippings and photographs from the newspaper's archives. Among the paper's foremost writers from the 1940s-1970s were Jack Ballantine and Dick Feagler
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
published in Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
from November 2, 1878, through June 17, 1982. From 1928 to 1966, the paper's editor was Louis Seltzer.
The paper may be best remembered for its controversial role in the 1954 Sam Sheppard
Sam Sheppard
Dr. Samuel Holmes Sheppard was an American osteopathic physician and neurosurgeon, who was involved in an infamous and controversial murder trial. He was convicted of the murder of his pregnant wife, Marilyn Reese Sheppard, in 1954, while residing in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Sheppard served...
murder case.
History
The paper was founded by Edward W. Scripps as the Penny Press in 1878, a name that was shortened to the Press in 1884, before finally becoming the Cleveland Press in 1889. By the turn of the century, the Press had become Cleveland's leading daily newspaper, bypassing its main competitor, The Plain Dealer.During the 1920s, the Press reached nearly 200,000 in circulation and stood out by proposing the city manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
form of government for Cleveland, while also supporting Progressive
Progressivism in the United States
Progressivism in the United States is a broadly based reform movement that reached its height early in the 20th century and is generally considered to be middle class and reformist in nature. It arose as a response to the vast changes brought by modernization, such as the growth of large...
candidate Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette, Sr. , was an American Republican politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the Governor of Wisconsin, and was also a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin...
for president in 1924
United States presidential election, 1924
The United States presidential election of 1924 was won by incumbent President Calvin Coolidge, the Republican candidate.Coolidge was vice-president under Warren G. Harding and became president in 1923 when Harding died in office. Coolidge was given credit for a booming economy at home and no...
. Seltzer became the paper's 12th editor in 1928, and stressed the area's neighborhoods, promoting the slogan "The Newspaper That Serves Its Readers."
The paper endorsed winning mayoral candidates Frank J. Lausche
Frank J. Lausche
Frank John Lausche was a Democratic politician from Ohio. He served as the 47th mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, as the 55th and 57th Governor of Ohio, and as a United States Senator from Ohio for two terms .-Biography:His family originates from Slovenia. After serving in the U.S...
and Anthony J. Celebrezze
Anthony J. Celebrezze
Anthony Joseph Celebrezze Sr. was an Italian American politician of the Democratic Party, who served as the 49th mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, as a cabinet member in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, and as a U.S. appeals court judge....
.
However, in 1954, the Presss role in the prosecution of Dr. Sam Sheppard for the murder of his wife, Marilyn, eventually made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
. The paper's aggressive coverage and goading of local officials to charge Sheppard with the murder resulted in a ruling that pre-trial publicity had been injurious to Sheppard and resulted in a new trial in 1966.
In January 1960, the paper's owner, the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain, purchased Press rival the Cleveland News
Cleveland News
The Cleveland News was a daily and Sunday American newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio, published from 1905 to 1960, when it was absorbed by rival paper The Plain Dealer.-History:...
and merged it to become the city's only afternoon newspaper. Four years later, the Press was named one of America's 10 best newspapers in a list compiled by Time magazine, but under Seltzer's successor, Thomas L. Boardman, the Press began a decline that was shared in general with other large afternoon dailies throughout the country.
The Press was passed in circulation by The Plain Dealer in 1968, and after Boardman's retirement in 1979, rumors began circulating that the Press would shortly suspend publication unless a buyer could be found. Scripps-Howard sold the paper on October 31, 1980, to Cleveland businessman Joseph E. Cole
Joseph Cole
Joseph Cole is an American film cinematographer and producer. He was raised on Mercer Island where he met his lifelong friend and film collaborator, Bjorn Anderson. Soon after Joseph had graduated from the New York Film Academy, Bjorn had pitched the idea for their first feature film together,...
, who purchased the paper only after gaining concessions from the employee unions.
Cole introduced a Sunday edition on August 2, 1981, followed by a morning edition on March 22, 1982. However, a bad economy, coupled with losses in advertising resulted in the paper's closing just three months later.
The remnants of the paper live on in the Cleveland Press Collection at the Cleveland State University
Cleveland State University
Cleveland State University is a public university located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 when the state of Ohio assumed control of Fenn College, and it absorbed the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1969...
library. The collection consists of clippings and photographs from the newspaper's archives. Among the paper's foremost writers from the 1940s-1970s were Jack Ballantine and Dick Feagler
Dick Feagler
Richard "Dick" Feagler is a newspaper columnist, playwright and television personality from Cleveland, Ohio. After attending Ohio University he began his career in journalism in 1963, writing obituaries for the Cleveland Press...
.
Further reading
- Tidyman, John (2009). Gimme Rewrite, Sweetheart: Tales From the Last Glory Days of Cleveland Newspapers—Told By The Men and Women Who Reported the News. Cleveland, OH: Gray & Company, Publishers. ISBN 978-1-59851-016-4