Joseph Medill
Encyclopedia
Joseph Medill was an American newspaper editor and publisher, and politician. He was co-owner and managing editor of the Chicago Tribune
, and was Mayor of Chicago
.
, Canada. In 1853, Medill and Edwin Cowles
started a newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio
: the Leader (later absorbed by The Plain Dealer). In 1854, he was asked to become managing editor of the Tribune by its part-owner, Captain J. D. Webster. Medill was further encouraged to come to Chicago by Dr. Charles H. Ray of Galena, Illinois
, and editor Horace Greeley
of the New York Tribune
.
In 1855, Medill sold his interest in the Leader to Cowles, and bought the Tribune in partnership with Dr. Ray and Cowles' brother Alfred
.
Under Medill's management, the Tribune flourished, becoming one of the largest newspapers in Chicago. Medill served as its managing editor until 1864, when Horace White
became editor-in-chief. At that time Medill left day-to-day operations of the Tribune for political activities.
However, White clashed with Medill over the Presidential election of 1872
. So, in 1873 Medill bought additional equity from Cowles and from White, becoming majority owner. In 1874 he replaced White as editor-in-chief. Medill served as editor-in-chief until his death.
. Medill was a major supporter of Abraham Lincoln
in the 1850s. Medill and the Tribune were instrumental in Lincoln's nomination for the Presidency, and were equally supportive of the Union
cause during the American Civil War
. The Tribunes chief adversary through this period was the Chicago Times
, which supported the Democrats.
In 1864, Medill left the Tribune editorship for political activity, which occupied him for the next ten years. He was appointed by President Grant
to the first Civil Service Commission
. In 1870, he was elected as a delegate to the Illinois Constitutional convention
. In 1871, after the Great Chicago Fire
, Medill was elected mayor of Chicago as candidate of the temporary "Fireproof" party, serving for two years. As mayor, Medill gained more power for the mayor's office, created Chicago's first public library, enforced blue law
s and reformed the police and fire departments. However, the stress of the job broke down his health. In August 1873, he appointed Lester L. Bond
as Acting Mayor for the remaining 3½ months of his term, and went to Europe on a convalescent tour.
Medill was a strong Republican loyalist, who supported President Grant for re-election in 1872. The breach with White came because White supported the breakaway Liberal Republicans
, reformists who nominated Horace Greeley for President. It was also at this time that Medill broke with Greeley.
Nellie married Tribune reporter Robert Wilson Patterson
, Jr. (1850–1910). Their children Joseph Medill Patterson
and Cissy Patterson
were also successful newspaper publishers. Joseph founded the New York Daily News
and Cissy Patterson
became editor of the Washington Herald and later publisher of the Herald and the Washington Times.
Great-granddaughter Alicia Patterson
founded and edited Newsday
.
Kate married diplomat Robert Sanderson McCormick
(1849–1919) on June 8, 1876.
He was the nephew of Cyrus McCormick
, founder of the agricultural machinery company that became International Harvester
. Their sons Joseph M. McCormick
(known as "Medill McCormick") and Robert R. McCormick
both served as heads of the Tribune. Grandson Medill McCormick was publisher of the Tribune for four years, and later a U.S. Senator
.
Grandson Robert R. McCormick
succeeded his brother at the Tribune, where he was publisher for almost 50 years.
Medill acquired a large country estate in Wheaton, Illinois
. It was later occupied by his grandson, Robert R. McCormick, who named it "Cantigny". The Cantigny estate
is now a park and museum facility, open to the public.
Medill Avenue, an east-west street on Chicago's north side, is named for him.
The Medill School of Journalism
at Northwestern University
is named after Joseph Medill. The School presents the annual
Medill Medal for Courage in Journalism, which bears Joseph Medill's likeness.
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, and was Mayor of Chicago
Mayor of Chicago
The Mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of Chicago, Illinois, the third largest city in the United States. He or she is charged with directing city departments and agencies, and with the advice and consent of the Chicago City Council, appoints department and agency leaders.-Appointment...
.
Biography
Medill was born April 6, 1823 in Saint John, New BrunswickSaint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, Canada. In 1853, Medill and Edwin Cowles
Edwin Cowles
Edwin Cowles , born in Austinburg, was the publisher of The Cleveland Leader, Vice-President of the 1884 Republican National Convention, postmaster of Cleveland, April 4, 1861 - July 11, 1865, and elder brother of Alfred Cowles, Sr., also a newspaper publisher.-References:...
started a newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
: the Leader (later absorbed by The Plain Dealer). In 1854, he was asked to become managing editor of the Tribune by its part-owner, Captain J. D. Webster. Medill was further encouraged to come to Chicago by Dr. Charles H. Ray of Galena, Illinois
Galena, Illinois
Galena is the county seat of, and largest city in, Jo Daviess County, Illinois in the United States, with a population of 3,429 in 2010. The city is a popular tourist destination known for its history, historical architecture, and ski and golf resorts. Galena was the residence of Ulysses S...
, and editor Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
of the New York Tribune
New York Tribune
The New York Tribune was an American newspaper, first established by Horace Greeley in 1841, which was long considered one of the leading newspapers in the United States...
.
In 1855, Medill sold his interest in the Leader to Cowles, and bought the Tribune in partnership with Dr. Ray and Cowles' brother Alfred
Alfred Cowles, Sr.
Alfred Cowles, Sr. was an American businessperson and newspaper publisher. During the 1860s to 1880s he was bookkeeper, treasurer and business manager of the Chicago Tribune of which he was part owner....
.
Under Medill's management, the Tribune flourished, becoming one of the largest newspapers in Chicago. Medill served as its managing editor until 1864, when Horace White
Horace White (writer)
Horace White was an United States journalist and financial expert, noted for his connection with the Chicago Tribune, the New York Evening Post and The Nation.-Biography:...
became editor-in-chief. At that time Medill left day-to-day operations of the Tribune for political activities.
However, White clashed with Medill over the Presidential election of 1872
United States presidential election, 1872
In the United States presidential election of 1872, incumbent President Ulysses S. Grant was easily elected to a second term in office with Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts as his running mate, despite a split within the Republican Party that resulted in a defection of many Liberal Republicans...
. So, in 1873 Medill bought additional equity from Cowles and from White, becoming majority owner. In 1874 he replaced White as editor-in-chief. Medill served as editor-in-chief until his death.
Political activity
Under Medill, the Tribune became the leading Republican newspaper in Chicago. Medill was strongly anti-slavery, supporting both the Free-Soil cause and AbolitionismAbolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
. Medill was a major supporter of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
in the 1850s. Medill and the Tribune were instrumental in Lincoln's nomination for the Presidency, and were equally supportive of the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
cause during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The Tribunes chief adversary through this period was the Chicago Times
Chicago Times
The Chicago Times was a newspaper in Chicago from 1854 to 1895 when it merged with the Chicago Herald.The Times was founded in 1854, by James W. Sheahan, with the backing of Stephen Douglas, and was identified as a pro-slavery newspaper. In 1861, after the paper was purchased by Wilbur F...
, which supported the Democrats.
In 1864, Medill left the Tribune editorship for political activity, which occupied him for the next ten years. He was appointed by President Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
to the first Civil Service Commission
United States civil service
In the United States, the civil service was established in 1872. The Federal Civil Service is defined as "all appointive positions in the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the Government of the United States, except positions in the uniformed services." . In the early 19th century,...
. In 1870, he was elected as a delegate to the Illinois Constitutional convention
Constitutional convention (political meeting)
A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
. In 1871, after the Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
, Medill was elected mayor of Chicago as candidate of the temporary "Fireproof" party, serving for two years. As mayor, Medill gained more power for the mayor's office, created Chicago's first public library, enforced blue law
Blue law
A blue law is a type of law, typically found in the United States and, formerly, in Canada, designed to enforce religious standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping...
s and reformed the police and fire departments. However, the stress of the job broke down his health. In August 1873, he appointed Lester L. Bond
Lester L. Bond
Lester Legrant Bond was a member of the Illinois state House of Representatives from 1866–1870 and served as acting Mayor of Chicago, appointed by Joseph Medill in 1873 when Medill left for Europe.Bond was born to Jonas and Elizabeth Bond. and grew up on his father's farm in Ravenna, Ohio...
as Acting Mayor for the remaining 3½ months of his term, and went to Europe on a convalescent tour.
Medill was a strong Republican loyalist, who supported President Grant for re-election in 1872. The breach with White came because White supported the breakaway Liberal Republicans
Liberal Republican Party (United States)
The Liberal Republican Party of the United States was a political party that was organized in Cincinnati in May 1872, to oppose the reelection of President Ulysses S. Grant and his Radical Republican supporters. The party's candidate in that year's presidential election was Horace Greeley, longtime...
, reformists who nominated Horace Greeley for President. It was also at this time that Medill broke with Greeley.
Heritage
Medill had two daughters: Katherine (Kate) and Elinor (Nellie). Medill's descendants include many prominent figures in American newspaper publishing.Nellie married Tribune reporter Robert Wilson Patterson
Robert Wilson Patterson
Robert Wilson Patterson was an American newspaper editor and publisher. He was born in Chicago, attended Lake Forest Academy in Lake Forest, Illinois, and graduated from Williams College in 1871, and then began the study of law...
, Jr. (1850–1910). Their children Joseph Medill Patterson
Joseph Medill Patterson
Joseph Medill Patterson was an American journalist and publisher, grandson of publisher Joseph Medill, founder of the Chicago Tribune and a mayor of Chicago, Illinois.-Family:...
and Cissy Patterson
Cissy Patterson
Eleanor Josephine Medill "Cissy" Patterson was an American journalist and newspaper editor, publisher and owner...
were also successful newspaper publishers. Joseph founded the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
and Cissy Patterson
Cissy Patterson
Eleanor Josephine Medill "Cissy" Patterson was an American journalist and newspaper editor, publisher and owner...
became editor of the Washington Herald and later publisher of the Herald and the Washington Times.
Great-granddaughter Alicia Patterson
Alicia Patterson
Alicia Patterson was the founder and editor of Newsday.-Life:A daughter of Alice and Joseph Medill Patterson, the founder of the New York Daily News and the great-granddaughter of Joseph Medill, owner of the Chicago Tribune, Alicia Patterson found her calling late in life when her third husband,...
founded and edited Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
.
Kate married diplomat Robert Sanderson McCormick
Robert Sanderson McCormick
Robert Sanderson McCormick was a United States diplomat. Born in rural Virginia, his extended McCormick family became influential in Chicago.-Life:...
(1849–1919) on June 8, 1876.
He was the nephew of Cyrus McCormick
Cyrus McCormick
Cyrus Hall McCormick, Sr. was an American inventor and founder of the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company, which became part of International Harvester Company in 1902.He and many members of the McCormick family became prominent Chicagoans....
, founder of the agricultural machinery company that became International Harvester
International Harvester
International Harvester Company was a United States agricultural machinery, construction equipment, vehicle, commercial truck, and household and commercial products manufacturer. In 1902, J.P...
. Their sons Joseph M. McCormick
Joseph M. McCormick
Joseph Medill McCormick , known as Medill, was part of the McCormick family of businessmen and politicians in Chicago...
(known as "Medill McCormick") and Robert R. McCormick
Robert R. McCormick
Robert Rutherford "Colonel" McCormick was a member of the McCormick family of Chicago who became owner and publisher of the Chicago Tribune newspaper...
both served as heads of the Tribune. Grandson Medill McCormick was publisher of the Tribune for four years, and later a U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
Grandson Robert R. McCormick
Robert R. McCormick
Robert Rutherford "Colonel" McCormick was a member of the McCormick family of Chicago who became owner and publisher of the Chicago Tribune newspaper...
succeeded his brother at the Tribune, where he was publisher for almost 50 years.
Medill acquired a large country estate in Wheaton, Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois
Wheaton is an affluent community located in DuPage County, Illinois, approximately west of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Wheaton is the county seat of DuPage County...
. It was later occupied by his grandson, Robert R. McCormick, who named it "Cantigny". The Cantigny estate
Cantigny
Cantigny is a park in Wheaton, Illinois, 30 miles west of Chicago. It is the former estate of Joseph Medill, and his grandson Colonel Robert R. McCormick, publishers of the Chicago Tribune, and is open to the public...
is now a park and museum facility, open to the public.
Medill Avenue, an east-west street on Chicago's north side, is named for him.
The Medill School of Journalism
Medill School of Journalism
The Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications is a constituent school of Northwestern University which offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. It has consistently been one of the top-ranked schools in Journalism in the United States...
at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
is named after Joseph Medill. The School presents the annual
Medill Medal for Courage in Journalism, which bears Joseph Medill's likeness.