James W. Faulkner
Encyclopedia
James W. Faulkner was an American
political journalist from Cincinnati, Ohio
, whose career spanned local politics in Cincinnati; state politics in Ohio; and whose writings covered the Presidential campaigns of both parties from 1892 through 1920. Faulkner started his newspaper career with the Cincinnati Post in 1877 and joined the Cincinnati Enquirer in 1887. In 1890 at the age of 27 he was assigned to Columbus, Ohio
to report on the General Assembly and state politics. He observed many lobbyists had invaded the chambers of the Legislature posing as newspapermen, causing special interest group influence on the floor of the House and Senate. He formed the Ohio Legislative Correspondents Association, requiring newsmen to submit credentials before gaining floor privileges. He served as its president for 24 years.
Faulkner covered every political convention for both parties from 1892 to his death in 1923. Aside from writing political editorial columns Faulkner wrote articles for various publications during his career. He died, aged 60, while attending a newspaper editors meeting and Associated Press
convention in New York City on May 5, 1923.
on the south side of Fountain Square
where he was born. He was a philosopher sorts at an early age. While chopping wood with an axe at the age of thirteen, he accidentally severed a finger. The wound was attended to but Faulkner lost the finger. Later in life he told a reporter after he got over the scare he thought "Well I am minus a finger, but nobody is going to make me practice piano for three hours a day!". Faulkner attended parochial elementary schools and graduated from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati.
Faulkner worked as a telephone operator at the Ninth Street Police Station. He got his first newspaper job at the Cincinnati Times-Star in 1884 although some sources claim he got his start in the newspaper business in 1887. He tutored David Graham Phillips
at The Cincinnati Enquirer circa 1888 to 1890.
Faulkner observed the Legislature and Statehouse Staff were “cowed by lobbyists for special interest groups…buttonholing lawmakers in session…and people who posed as newspapermen acting as lobbyists…. He formed the Ohio Legislative Correspondents’ Association, an organization which required newsmen were to pass on their credentials before they could gain access to the floor of the House and Senate. Faulkner served as the organization’s first president and held the post for 24 years. He wrote a weekly piece called the "Faulkner Letter" which ran on Sundays in The Cincinnati Enquirer. He attended every national political convention of the major parties from 1892 on, and since 1896 had accompanied presidential candidates on their campaign speaking tours.
Faulkner was on terms of personal friendship with every U.S. President since Grover Cleveland
, and was a special friend of Warren G. Harding
. He was asked by a number of Ohio Governors and one U.S. President to accept commissions in their administrations, but politely declined each time. His reason was he wanted to stay in newspaper work. He was also a director of Citizen's Trust and Savings Bank in Columbus, Ohio.
He was named the editor-in-chief of The Toledo Commercial on August 23, 1899.
Faulkner travelled with William Jennings Bryan
, in 1914, while he was Secretary of State
. During World War I
, was appointed a member of the Ohio Council of National Defense
by Governor James M. Cox
and was a member of several committees and commissions within the council.
Miami University
at Oxford conferred Honorary Doctor of Letters
on him September 1919. He was known as the Dean of the correspondents.
Faulkner was a member of Gov. Cox’s presidential train party in 1920.
, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
Lodge No. 5. He also served as board of commissioners for the Cincinnati Police from 1898 to 1902. In politics, Faulkner was a member of the Democratic Party
. Faulkner never married.
While attending the American Newspaper Publisher's Association convention, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
in New York, Faulkner became ill, complaining of indigestion. He stayed at the hotel and was attended by a physician, but died during night on May 5, 1923 of a heart attack. Upon his death many notable statements were issued by President Warren G. Harding, Governor Alvin V. Donahey, and former governors James A. Cox and Judson Harmon
.
Faulkner's body was escorted from New York to Cincinnati by his sisters, Mary and Martha Faulkner. The body was taken to the home of Thomas J. Mulvihill, his brother-in-law and an undertaker, where the viewing would take place. The Requiem Mass was celebrated at St. Xavier Church in Cincinnati and burial was at Calvary Cemetery. The funeral was attended by former Ohio governors, many newspaper officials, Cincinnati City leaders. His pallbearers were: William F. Wiley, Herbert R. Mengert, Jasper C. Muma, Robert F. Wolfe
, Judson Harmon
, James M. Cox
, William A. Stewart
, Bayard L. Kilgour, William Alexander Julian
, Russell A. Wilson, W. F. Burdell and Nicholas Longworth
. On orders from Washington, DC the Stars and Stripes
at the local Federal building in Cincinnati was displayed at half-mast during Faulkner’s funeral – the first time in the history of Cincinnati that the flag had been lowered as a mark of respect for a private citizen.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political journalist from Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, whose career spanned local politics in Cincinnati; state politics in Ohio; and whose writings covered the Presidential campaigns of both parties from 1892 through 1920. Faulkner started his newspaper career with the Cincinnati Post in 1877 and joined the Cincinnati Enquirer in 1887. In 1890 at the age of 27 he was assigned to Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
to report on the General Assembly and state politics. He observed many lobbyists had invaded the chambers of the Legislature posing as newspapermen, causing special interest group influence on the floor of the House and Senate. He formed the Ohio Legislative Correspondents Association, requiring newsmen to submit credentials before gaining floor privileges. He served as its president for 24 years.
Faulkner covered every political convention for both parties from 1892 to his death in 1923. Aside from writing political editorial columns Faulkner wrote articles for various publications during his career. He died, aged 60, while attending a newspaper editors meeting and Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
convention in New York City on May 5, 1923.
Early life
James “Jim” Faulkner was born in 1863 to Irish immigrants John Faulkner and Ellen O'Connell (from County Cork, Ireland) in Cincinnati. His father operated the Gibson HouseGibson House (Cincinnati)
The Gibson House was a well-known and well-regarded hotel, the precursor of the Hotel Gibson. The Gibson House was located on Main St. between 4th & 5th until the 1970s....
on the south side of Fountain Square
Fountain Square, Cincinnati
Fountain Square is a city square in Cincinnati. Founded in 1871, it was renovated in 1971 and 2005 and currently features many shops, restaurants, hotels, and offices.- History :...
where he was born. He was a philosopher sorts at an early age. While chopping wood with an axe at the age of thirteen, he accidentally severed a finger. The wound was attended to but Faulkner lost the finger. Later in life he told a reporter after he got over the scare he thought "Well I am minus a finger, but nobody is going to make me practice piano for three hours a day!". Faulkner attended parochial elementary schools and graduated from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati.
Faulkner worked as a telephone operator at the Ninth Street Police Station. He got his first newspaper job at the Cincinnati Times-Star in 1884 although some sources claim he got his start in the newspaper business in 1887. He tutored David Graham Phillips
David Graham Phillips
David Graham Phillips was an American journalist of the muckraker tradition and novelist.-Early life and career:Phillips was born in Madison, Indiana...
at The Cincinnati Enquirer circa 1888 to 1890.
Journalism career
In 1887 he joined the Cincinnati Enquirer and in 1890 went to Columbus as a reported for the Ohio Legislature and Statehouse.Faulkner observed the Legislature and Statehouse Staff were “cowed by lobbyists for special interest groups…buttonholing lawmakers in session…and people who posed as newspapermen acting as lobbyists…. He formed the Ohio Legislative Correspondents’ Association, an organization which required newsmen were to pass on their credentials before they could gain access to the floor of the House and Senate. Faulkner served as the organization’s first president and held the post for 24 years. He wrote a weekly piece called the "Faulkner Letter" which ran on Sundays in The Cincinnati Enquirer. He attended every national political convention of the major parties from 1892 on, and since 1896 had accompanied presidential candidates on their campaign speaking tours.
Faulkner was on terms of personal friendship with every U.S. President since Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
, and was a special friend of Warren G. Harding
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
. He was asked by a number of Ohio Governors and one U.S. President to accept commissions in their administrations, but politely declined each time. His reason was he wanted to stay in newspaper work. He was also a director of Citizen's Trust and Savings Bank in Columbus, Ohio.
He was named the editor-in-chief of The Toledo Commercial on August 23, 1899.
Faulkner travelled with William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
, in 1914, while he was Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, was appointed a member of the Ohio Council of National Defense
Council of National Defense
The Council of National Defense was a United States organization formed during World War I to coordinate resources and industry in support of the war effort, including the coordination of transportation, industrial and farm production, financial support for the war, and public...
by Governor James M. Cox
James M. Cox
James Middleton Cox was the 46th and 48th Governor of Ohio, U.S. Representative from Ohio and Democratic candidate for President of the United States in the election of 1920....
and was a member of several committees and commissions within the council.
Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
at Oxford conferred Honorary Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
on him September 1919. He was known as the Dean of the correspondents.
Faulkner was a member of Gov. Cox’s presidential train party in 1920.
Personal life
Besides his professional journalistic memberships Faulkner was also a member of the Cuvier Press ClubCuvier Press Club (Cincinnati, Ohio)
The Cuvier Press Club, located at 22 Garfield Place, is a registered historic building in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is also referred to locally as the Fechheimer Mansion and as of 2006 served as the headquarters location for Cincinnati-based firm LPK....
, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868...
Lodge No. 5. He also served as board of commissioners for the Cincinnati Police from 1898 to 1902. In politics, Faulkner was a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. Faulkner never married.
Death and funeral
| “The passing of James W. Faulkner takes away one of the most notable correspondents of the present day. He wielded a very forceful pen, and had a keen sense of news value which led him into the very heart of many interesting problems, notably in politics” |
| —President Warren G. Harding, Statement upon learning of the death of James W. Faulkner |
While attending the American Newspaper Publisher's Association convention, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
The Waldorf-Astoria is a luxury hotel in New York. It has been housed in two historic landmark buildings in New York City. The first, designed by architect Henry J. Hardenbergh, was on the Fifth Avenue site of the Empire State Building. The present building at 301 Park Avenue in Manhattan is a...
in New York, Faulkner became ill, complaining of indigestion. He stayed at the hotel and was attended by a physician, but died during night on May 5, 1923 of a heart attack. Upon his death many notable statements were issued by President Warren G. Harding, Governor Alvin V. Donahey, and former governors James A. Cox and Judson Harmon
Judson Harmon
Judson Harmon was a Democratic politician from Ohio. He served as United States Attorney General under President Grover Cleveland and later served as the 45th Governor of Ohio....
.
Faulkner's body was escorted from New York to Cincinnati by his sisters, Mary and Martha Faulkner. The body was taken to the home of Thomas J. Mulvihill, his brother-in-law and an undertaker, where the viewing would take place. The Requiem Mass was celebrated at St. Xavier Church in Cincinnati and burial was at Calvary Cemetery. The funeral was attended by former Ohio governors, many newspaper officials, Cincinnati City leaders. His pallbearers were: William F. Wiley, Herbert R. Mengert, Jasper C. Muma, Robert F. Wolfe
Robert F. Wolfe
According to biographies supplied by the Columbus Foundation and the Columbus Dispatch, newspaper founder Robert F. Wolfe arrived in Columbus, Ohio in 1888 and found work as a shoemaker, eventually beginning the Wolfe Brothers Shoe Company. In 1903, he bought the Ohio State Journal with his...
, Judson Harmon
Judson Harmon
Judson Harmon was a Democratic politician from Ohio. He served as United States Attorney General under President Grover Cleveland and later served as the 45th Governor of Ohio....
, James M. Cox
James M. Cox
James Middleton Cox was the 46th and 48th Governor of Ohio, U.S. Representative from Ohio and Democratic candidate for President of the United States in the election of 1920....
, William A. Stewart
William Alvah Stewart
William Alvah Stewart was a United States federal judge.Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Stewart received an A.B. from Amherst College in 1925 and an LL.B. from Harvard Law School in 1928. He was in private practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1928 to 1951. He was an Instructor, Duquesne Law...
, Bayard L. Kilgour, William Alexander Julian
William Alexander Julian
William Alexander Julian served as the 28th Treasurer of the United States from June 1, 1933 - May 29, 1949 under Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman. He is currently the last male to hold that position...
, Russell A. Wilson, W. F. Burdell and Nicholas Longworth
Nicholas Longworth
Nicholas Longworth IV was a prominent American politician in the Republican Party during the first few decades of the 20th century...
. On orders from Washington, DC the Stars and Stripes
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
at the local Federal building in Cincinnati was displayed at half-mast during Faulkner’s funeral – the first time in the history of Cincinnati that the flag had been lowered as a mark of respect for a private citizen.
James W. Faulkner Scholarship
As Faulkner had helped many young newspaper reporters early in their careers, following his death, many newspapermen desired to form a memorial fund to provide scholarships to journalism students. A Memorial Fund to aid Journalism students was organized by friends who were in the Ohio Legislative Correspondents Association. Former Ohio Governor and newspaper owner James M. Cox served as its first chairman. Two scholarships are awarded annually to Ohio journalism students.Other honors
- James W. Faulkner was inducted into the Ohio Journalism Hall of Fame October 31, 1930.
- The James W. Faulkner Enterprise Award, an award for the best enterprise story which exhibited special effort by the reporter was named for him in 1967.
External links
- Ohio Legislative Correspondents Association http://www.olca.info/