The Daily Compass
Encyclopedia
The Daily Compass was an American
leftist
newspaper
in New York City
, New York
, published from May 16, 1949 through November 1952. It is best known for its columns by the investigative journalist I. F. Stone
.
Its Online Computer Library Center record number is OCLC 09316051.
, published from June 1940 to June 22, 1948, and that paper's first successor, the New York Star, published from June 23, 1948, to January 28, 1949.
Ted Thackrey
— the features editor of the New York Post
before marrying Post owner Dorothy Schiff
in 1943, after which the two became co-publishers/co-editors — had become solo publisher of the Post, at the behest of his wife, for a disastrous three months. He then "left with a following of firebrand writers to start his own paper", buying the building and physical plant at which PM and the Star had been published, at Duane Street and Hudson Street
in Manhattan
. With private financing, he founded The Daily Compass as its publisher and president. The paper began publishing on May 16, 1949, and ceased publication in November 1952.
The investigative journalist I. F. Stone
wrote a column six days a week. Jazz club
impresario Art D'Lugoff
, then spelling his name Art Dlugoff, was a copy boy
at the paper, as was future Newsday
sports writer Stan Isaacs. The city editor
/ managing editor
, Tom O'Connor, who appeared before the House Un-American Activities Committee
in May 1952 without testifying or naming others, died of a heart attack at The Daily Compass offices while watching a televised broadcast of the Democratic National Convention
on July 24, 1952.
, Illinois
, philanthropist
Anita McCormick-Blaine, the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company
heiress, who furnished either $300,000 or $2 million for the start-up (sources differ). She was introduced to Thackrey in late April 1949 by a mutual friend who had intended to put up half the money. When the friend backed out, McCormick-Blaine invested the whole amount, in return for all the preferred stock
; Thackrey held hold 51% of the common stock
, and control.
McCormick-Blaine said at the time, "My purpose is to help create a better world state. You have only to think of the need for this thing ... look at the press of the world today...."
The paper was distributed by the Metropolitan News Company and some 16 other distributors. William Peyton Marin was the company treasurer. Bernard Goldstein, the assistant treasurer and controller of the New York Star, was the assistant treasurer. Following the company's dissolution, its books and records were stored at the AAAAAA American City Wide Express Service at 1135 Tiffany Street, The Bronx
, for two to three years before prepaid funds ran out and the documents were scheduled to be destroyed.
firm Ruder Finn
. In 1959, Thackrey and Goldstein testified at the U.S. Senate's "Hearings Before the Select Committee in Improper Activities on the Labor or Management Field", which investigated alleged improprieties by the newspaper deliverers union and forcible payoffs in order to ensure Compass distribution.
09316051) are stored at the New York State Library
and at Sarah Lawrence College
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
leftist
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
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...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, published from May 16, 1949 through November 1952. It is best known for its columns by the investigative journalist I. F. Stone
I. F. Stone
Isidor Feinstein Stone was an iconoclastic American investigative journalist. He is best remembered for his self-published newsletter, I. F...
.
Its Online Computer Library Center record number is OCLC 09316051.
Publication history
The Daily Compass, which included the weekend Sunday Compass, was a successor to the leftist New York City newspaper PMPM (newspaper)
PM was a leftist New York City daily newspaper published by Ralph Ingersoll from June 1940 to June 1948 and bankrolled by the eccentric Chicago millionaire Marshall Field III....
, published from June 1940 to June 22, 1948, and that paper's first successor, the New York Star, published from June 23, 1948, to January 28, 1949.
Ted Thackrey
Ted Thackrey
Theodore O. "Ted" Thackrey was an American journalist and publisher, best known as the editor of the New York Post in the 1940s, and the founder of the leftist New York City newspaper The Daily Compass.-Biography:...
— the features editor of the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
before marrying Post owner Dorothy Schiff
Dorothy Schiff
Dorothy Schiff was an owner and then publisher of the New York Post for nearly 40 years. She was a granddaughter of financier Jacob H. Schiff...
in 1943, after which the two became co-publishers/co-editors — had become solo publisher of the Post, at the behest of his wife, for a disastrous three months. He then "left with a following of firebrand writers to start his own paper", buying the building and physical plant at which PM and the Star had been published, at Duane Street and Hudson Street
Hudson Street (Manhattan)
Hudson Street is a north/south oriented street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Running from TriBeCa to Greenwich Village and through Hudson Square, Hudson Street has two distinct one-way traffic patterns that meet at Abingdon Square, at the street's intersection with Eighth Avenue and...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. With private financing, he founded The Daily Compass as its publisher and president. The paper began publishing on May 16, 1949, and ceased publication in November 1952.
The investigative journalist I. F. Stone
I. F. Stone
Isidor Feinstein Stone was an iconoclastic American investigative journalist. He is best remembered for his self-published newsletter, I. F...
wrote a column six days a week. Jazz club
Jazz club
A jazz club is a venue where the primary entertainment is the performance of live jazz music. Jazz clubs have been in large rooms in the eras of Orchestral jazz and big band jazz and when its popularity as a dance music was common...
impresario Art D'Lugoff
Art D'Lugoff
Art D'Lugoff was an American jazz impresario. He opened The Village Gate, a jazz club in New York City's Greenwich Village, in 1958...
, then spelling his name Art Dlugoff, was a copy boy
Copy boy
A copy boy is a typically young and junior worker on a newspaper.The job involves taking typed stories from one section of a newspaper to another....
at the paper, as was future 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...
sports writer Stan Isaacs. The city editor
City editor
A city editor is a title used by a particular section editor of a newspaper. They are responsible for the daily changes of a particular issue of a newspaper that will be released in the coming day...
/ managing editor
Managing editor
A managing editor is a senior member of a publication's management team.In the United States, a managing editor oversees and coordinates the publication's editorial activities...
, Tom O'Connor, who appeared before the House Un-American Activities Committee
House Un-American Activities Committee
The House Committee on Un-American Activities or House Un-American Activities Committee was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. In 1969, the House changed the committee's name to "House Committee on Internal Security"...
in May 1952 without testifying or naming others, died of a heart attack at The Daily Compass offices while watching a televised broadcast of the Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
on July 24, 1952.
Financing and distribution
The Daily Compass was chiefly financed through the ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
Anita McCormick-Blaine, the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company
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....
heiress, who furnished either $300,000 or $2 million for the start-up (sources differ). She was introduced to Thackrey in late April 1949 by a mutual friend who had intended to put up half the money. When the friend backed out, McCormick-Blaine invested the whole amount, in return for all the preferred stock
Preferred stock
Preferred stock, also called preferred shares, preference shares, or simply preferreds, is a special equity security that has properties of both an equity and a debt instrument and is generally considered a hybrid instrument...
; Thackrey held hold 51% of the common stock
Common stock
Common stock is a form of corporate equity ownership, a type of security. It is called "common" to distinguish it from preferred stock. In the event of bankruptcy, common stock investors receive their funds after preferred stock holders, bondholders, creditors, etc...
, and control.
McCormick-Blaine said at the time, "My purpose is to help create a better world state. You have only to think of the need for this thing ... look at the press of the world today...."
The paper was distributed by the Metropolitan News Company and some 16 other distributors. William Peyton Marin was the company treasurer. Bernard Goldstein, the assistant treasurer and controller of the New York Star, was the assistant treasurer. Following the company's dissolution, its books and records were stored at the AAAAAA American City Wide Express Service at 1135 Tiffany Street, The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, for two to three years before prepaid funds ran out and the documents were scheduled to be destroyed.
Aftermath
After The Daily Compass ceased publication, Thackrey joined the public relationsPublic relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
firm Ruder Finn
Ruder Finn
Ruder Finn is an United States public relations firm founded in 1948 by David Finn and William Ruder.Ruder Finn is a privately held, family-owned company that employs more than 600 people...
. In 1959, Thackrey and Goldstein testified at the U.S. Senate's "Hearings Before the Select Committee in Improper Activities on the Labor or Management Field", which investigated alleged improprieties by the newspaper deliverers union and forcible payoffs in order to ensure Compass distribution.
Archives
Archives of The Daily Compass (OCLCOCLC
OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. is "a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing information costs"...
09316051) are stored at the New York State Library
New York State Library
The New York State Library is part of the New York State Education Department. The Library and its sister institutions, the New York State Museum and New York State Archives, are housed in the Cultural Education Center...
and at Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, this coeducational college offers...
.
External links
- "Timeline: NYC Newspapers of General Circulation, 1900–1967", New York Public LibraryNew York Public LibraryThe New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...