Stephen Early
Encyclopedia
Stephen Tyree Early was a U.S.
journalist and government official. He served as White House Press Secretary
under Franklin D. Roosevelt
from 1933 to 1945 and again under President Harry S. Truman
in 1950.
After serving in World War I
with an Infantry Regiment and the Stars and Stripes
he returned to the United States and was asked by Roosevelt to be the advance man for the 1920 Vice Presidential campaign. After the election Early returned to the Associated Press, and in 1927 became the Washington representative of Paramount News
.
He returned to the government as Under Secretary, later Deputy Secretary of Defense from April 1949 to June 1950.
to President Truman, filling in after the sudden death of Charles G. Ross.
In 1969, his widow donated his papers to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, where they could be accessed by the public.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist and government official. He served as White House Press Secretary
White House Press Secretary
The White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the government administration....
under Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
from 1933 to 1945 and again under President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
in 1950.
Career
Early met Franklin D. Roosevelt while covering the 1912 Democratic Convention as a reporter for the United Press. From 1913 to 1917 Early was the Associated Press correspondent covering the Navy Department, during which time his acquaintance with Roosevelt and Louis Howe grew.After serving in 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...
with an Infantry Regiment and the Stars and Stripes
Stars and Stripes (newspaper)
Stars and Stripes is a news source that operates from inside the United States Department of Defense but is editorially separate from it. The First Amendment protection which Stars and Stripes enjoys is safeguarded by Congress to whom an independent ombudsman, who serves the readers' interests,...
he returned to the United States and was asked by Roosevelt to be the advance man for the 1920 Vice Presidential campaign. After the election Early returned to the Associated Press, and in 1927 became the Washington representative of Paramount News
Paramount News
Paramount News is the name on the newsreels produced by Paramount Pictures .-History:The Paramount Newsreel began operation in 1927 and distributed roughly two movie theater issues per week until their closing in 1957. Movie theaters across the country would run these issues, usually on 35mm...
.
White House Press Secretary (Roosevelt and Truman Administrations)
After the election of 1932, Franklin Roosevelt asked him to serve as one of the White House Secretaries, and be responsible for press relations. Early held that post throughout the Roosevelt years, leaving government service June 1, 1945.Commercial and Defense appointments
In 1945 he became Vice President of Pullman, Inc..He returned to the government as Under Secretary, later Deputy Secretary of Defense from April 1949 to June 1950.
White House Press Secretary (2nd appointment to Truman Administration)
In December 1950 Early was briefly Press SecretaryWhite House Press Secretary
The White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the government administration....
to President Truman, filling in after the sudden death of Charles G. Ross.
Death
Early died at George Washington Hospital on August 11, 1951. He had suffered a heart attack a week prior, and despite signs of recovery, had a turn for the worse. It was reported that he died at about one in the afternoon. Survivors include the former Helen Wrenn, whom he married in 1921, and three sons. Harry Truman issued a statement calling him "an outstanding newspaper man" and "always on the side of President Roosevelt." Defense Secretary George Marshall said in a statement that he was "very distressed" at the news of his death and he "served his country faithfully for many years." The full statements and other information on his life can be found in his New York Times obituary, printed on August 12, 1951.In 1969, his widow donated his papers to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, where they could be accessed by the public.