William Edmund Scripps
Encyclopedia
William Edmund Scripps was a noted newspaper publisher with The Detroit News
, pioneer aviator
; and one of the original founders of WWJ
radio station.
publishing family as the son of James E. Scripps
, the founder of Detroit’s Evening News
. His uncle (father's half-brother) Edward W. Scripps, founded the E.W. Scripps Company; and his aunt (father's half-sister), Ellen Browning Scripps
, was a noted philanthropist
. He was a great uncle to Samuel H. Scripps
. His brother-in-law, George Gough Booth
, worked alongside him in the newspaper and radio industry. His nephew (George's son) was James Scripps Booth
, an artist and automotive engineer.
Scripps married Nina Amenda Downey and had four children. A one-room schoolhouse on the family property was named for his wife . When his son James Edmund II died of appendicitis
in 1925 at 22, Scripps and his wife donated a painting to the Detroit Art Museum
in his memory.
In 1916, he began purchasing large tracts of farmland in Lake Orion, Michigan
with an ambition to raise livestock
and show animals, including angus cattle
, swine, cows, and poultry
. The estate, called Wildwood Farms, grew in size to roughly 720 acres (2.9 km²).
In the mid-1920s Scripps hired his brother-in-law, architect Clarence E. Day, to build a new home for his family on the northwest quadrant of the property. Scripps Mansion
, a magnificent Norman
and Tudor style dwelling, was completed in 1927. It has served as a Guest House
and Retreat Center for the Catholic church since the 1950s and is not open to the public, except on scheduled guided tours showcasing the interior design and garden .
Many of the European paintings from the estate were later donated to the Detroit Institute of Arts
. William was an active contributor to the DIA, and his father James
was an original founder of the permanent collection building.
After his death in 1952, the farm livestock and equipment was auctioned off, and the land was sold or donated for parkland to Orion Township
, Oakland County
, and the state of Michigan
(Bald Mountain Recreation Area
) . The farm buildings and employee housing were later developed in the Canterbury Village shopping center
In 2007 the estate was added to the National Register of Historic Places
.
, which he helped run from 1929–1952. In 1913, Scripps flew a Curtis
Model F flying boat
underneath the original Belle Isle Bridge
Scripps invited Amelia Earhart
to Lake Orion in 1929, where she successfully tested an experimental glider
.
In 1904, Scripps helped found the Gold Cup
boat racing series on the Detroit River
.
; William's brother in law.
William and his brother John Scripps were original founders of WWJ (AM)
radio in 1920. Worried that radio might interfere with newspaper sales, the Scripps family invested in the new medium. Housed in The Detroit News Building, it began limited broadcasts that same year. During the 1940s, William established the first radio broadcasting of Alcoholics Anonymous
. The station remained under News ownership until 1987, until U.S. Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) regulations mandated a sale to prevent cross ownership
. WWJ is currently broadcasting as a popular all-news format.
In 1947 the News also founded a television station, WWJ TV
. That station remains on the air, however it is now known as WDIV-TV
. A new and separate station known as WWJ-TV
began operations in 1978.
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
, pioneer aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
; and one of the original founders of WWJ
WWJ (AM)
WWJ is Detroit, Michigan's only 24-hour all-news radio station. Broadcasting at 950 kHz, the station is owned and operated by CBS Corporation subsidiary CBS Radio. The station first went on the air on August 20, 1920 with the call sign 8MK...
radio station.
Family
William E. Scripps was born into the powerful ScrippsScripps
-People:*Edward W. Scripps, a United States publisher and media financier*Ellen Browning Scripps, La Jolla, California philanthropist, half-sister of Edward W. Scripps...
publishing family as the son of James E. Scripps
James E. Scripps
James Edmund Scripps was an American newspaper publisher and philanthropist.Scripps was born in 1835 in London to James Mogg Scripps and Ellen Mary Scripps. His father was a bookbinder who came to America in 1844 with six motherless children. Scripps grew up on a Rushville, Illinois, farm...
, the founder of Detroit’s Evening News
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
. His uncle (father's half-brother) Edward W. Scripps, founded the E.W. Scripps Company; and his aunt (father's half-sister), Ellen Browning Scripps
Ellen Browning Scripps
Ellen Browning Scripps was an American philanthropist who was the founding donor of several major institutions in Southern California.-Biography:...
, was a noted 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...
. He was a great uncle to Samuel H. Scripps
Samuel H. Scripps
Samuel H. Scripps was a patron of the arts, and played a significant role in gaining support and recognition for theatre and dance companies throughout America in the second half of the twentieth century....
. His brother-in-law, George Gough Booth
George Gough Booth
George Gough Booth was the publisher of the privately held Evening News Association, a co-founder of Booth Newspapers, and a noted philanthropist.-Publishing career:...
, worked alongside him in the newspaper and radio industry. His nephew (George's son) was James Scripps Booth
James Scripps Booth
James Scripps Booth was an artist and automotive engineer.-Early years:The eldest of George Gough Booth and Ellen Booth's five children, James was born on May 31, 1888 in Detroit, Michigan. He received his education at private schools, he left school before graduating from the tenth grade...
, an artist and automotive engineer.
Scripps married Nina Amenda Downey and had four children. A one-room schoolhouse on the family property was named for his wife . When his son James Edmund II died of appendicitis
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
in 1925 at 22, Scripps and his wife donated a painting to the Detroit Art Museum
Detroit Institute of Arts
The Detroit Institute of Arts is a renowned art museum in the city of Detroit. In 2003, the DIA ranked as the second largest municipally owned museum in the United States, with an art collection valued at more than one billion dollars...
in his memory.
Estate
See: Scripps MansionScripps Mansion
The Scripps Mansion is a Tudor style mansion located in Lake Orion, Michigan. The buildings and surrounding land are known collectively as The William E. Scripps Estate.-History:...
In 1916, he began purchasing large tracts of farmland in Lake Orion, Michigan
Lake Orion, Michigan
Lake Orion is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,973 at the 2010 census. "Lake Orion" is often used to describe both the village and the much larger Orion Township, of which the village is a part....
with an ambition to raise livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
and show animals, including angus cattle
Angus cattle
Angus cattle are a breed of cattle much used in beef production. They were developed from cattle native to the counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus in Scotland, and are known as Aberdeen Angus in most parts of the world....
, swine, cows, and poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
. The estate, called Wildwood Farms, grew in size to roughly 720 acres (2.9 km²).
In the mid-1920s Scripps hired his brother-in-law, architect Clarence E. Day, to build a new home for his family on the northwest quadrant of the property. Scripps Mansion
Scripps Mansion
The Scripps Mansion is a Tudor style mansion located in Lake Orion, Michigan. The buildings and surrounding land are known collectively as The William E. Scripps Estate.-History:...
, a magnificent Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
and Tudor style dwelling, was completed in 1927. It has served as a Guest House
Guest House
Guest House is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to the treatment of Catholic priests, deacons, brothers, seminarians who suffer from alcoholism, other chemical dependencies and other addictions involving food and gambling...
and Retreat Center for the Catholic church since the 1950s and is not open to the public, except on scheduled guided tours showcasing the interior design and garden .
Many of the European paintings from the estate were later donated to the Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit Institute of Arts
The Detroit Institute of Arts is a renowned art museum in the city of Detroit. In 2003, the DIA ranked as the second largest municipally owned museum in the United States, with an art collection valued at more than one billion dollars...
. William was an active contributor to the DIA, and his father James
James E. Scripps
James Edmund Scripps was an American newspaper publisher and philanthropist.Scripps was born in 1835 in London to James Mogg Scripps and Ellen Mary Scripps. His father was a bookbinder who came to America in 1844 with six motherless children. Scripps grew up on a Rushville, Illinois, farm...
was an original founder of the permanent collection building.
After his death in 1952, the farm livestock and equipment was auctioned off, and the land was sold or donated for parkland to Orion Township
Orion Township, Michigan
Orion Charter Township is a charter township of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 35,394 at the 2010 census. The official motto of the township and village is "Where living is a vacation". Orion Township contains the much smaller village of Lake Orion...
, Oakland County
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
, and the state of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
(Bald Mountain Recreation Area
Bald Mountain Recreation Area
Bald Mountain Recreation Area is a state park located near Lake Orion, Michigan off M-24. It consists of some of most the rugged terrain in southeastern Michigan....
) . The farm buildings and employee housing were later developed in the Canterbury Village shopping center
In 2007 the estate was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Aviation and boating
Scripps was an avid aviator and promoted aviation through his father's newspaper, The Detroit NewsThe Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
, which he helped run from 1929–1952. In 1913, Scripps flew a Curtis
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company was an American aircraft manufacturer that went public in 1916 with Glenn Hammond Curtiss as president. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the company was the largest aircraft manufacturer in the United States...
Model F flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
underneath the original Belle Isle Bridge
MacArthur Bridge (Detroit)
The MacArthur Bridge is a bridge that spans the Detroit River between Detroit, Michigan and Belle Isle. The bridge, which features nineteen total arches across , provides main access to Belle Isle. Completed in 1923 for $2,635,000 USD, it replaced a mostly wooden bridge that accidentally caught...
Scripps invited Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
to Lake Orion in 1929, where she successfully tested an experimental glider
Glider aircraft
Glider aircraft are heavier-than-air craft that are supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against their lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Mostly these types of aircraft are intended for routine operation without engines, though engine failure can...
.
In 1904, Scripps helped found the Gold Cup
Gold Cup (motorsport)
The APBA Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the Gold Cup, is a hydroplane boat race and is the second official race of the 2010 H1 Unlimited season. The race is scheduled to be held July 9–11, 2010 on the Detroit River in Detroit, Michigan, USA...
boat racing series on the Detroit River
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
.
Media
William had a role with the News after his fathers death, although the paper was primarily ran by George Gough BoothGeorge Gough Booth
George Gough Booth was the publisher of the privately held Evening News Association, a co-founder of Booth Newspapers, and a noted philanthropist.-Publishing career:...
; William's brother in law.
William and his brother John Scripps were original founders of WWJ (AM)
WWJ (AM)
WWJ is Detroit, Michigan's only 24-hour all-news radio station. Broadcasting at 950 kHz, the station is owned and operated by CBS Corporation subsidiary CBS Radio. The station first went on the air on August 20, 1920 with the call sign 8MK...
radio in 1920. Worried that radio might interfere with newspaper sales, the Scripps family invested in the new medium. Housed in The Detroit News Building, it began limited broadcasts that same year. During the 1940s, William established the first radio broadcasting of Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
. The station remained under News ownership until 1987, until U.S. Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) regulations mandated a sale to prevent cross ownership
Cross ownership
Cross ownership is a method of reinforcing business relationships by owning stock in the companies with which a given company does business. Heavy cross ownership is referred to as circular ownership....
. WWJ is currently broadcasting as a popular all-news format.
In 1947 the News also founded a television station, WWJ TV
WDIV-TV
WDIV-TV, virtual channel 4, is an NBC-affiliated television station based in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is owned by Post-Newsweek Stations and is the flagship station and home base of the group with the offices of the group located alongside WDIV's studios; the "Local" branding now...
. That station remains on the air, however it is now known as WDIV-TV
WDIV-TV
WDIV-TV, virtual channel 4, is an NBC-affiliated television station based in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is owned by Post-Newsweek Stations and is the flagship station and home base of the group with the offices of the group located alongside WDIV's studios; the "Local" branding now...
. A new and separate station known as WWJ-TV
WWJ-TV
WWJ-TV, virtual channel 62 , is the CBS-owned and operated television station in Detroit, Michigan. It is co-owned with Detroit's CW station, WKBD-TV , and the two stations share a studio in Southfield, Michigan, a Detroit suburb....
began operations in 1978.