- Frank Gannett
Frank Ernest Gannett (September 15, 1876 - December 3, 1957) founded the
Gannett media corporation. He was born inSouth Bristol, New York and graduated fromCornell University http://rocwiki.org/Frank_Ernest_Gannett accessed 17 February 2008] .At the age of 30, he purchased his first newspaper, the "Elmira Gazette" (now the "
Star-Gazette "). Six years later, in 1912, he purchased the "Ithaca Journal ". In 1918, he and his partners moved their headquarters toRochester, New York where they acquired the old Union and Advertiser combined as the Times-Union (the former evening paper of Rochester)http://www.westirondequoit.org/iroquois/Rochester/Gannett.htm accessed 17 February 2008] . In 1923 Gannett bought out his partners and formed his eponymousholding company which then consisted of six newspapers. In 1928 Gannett had purchased theDemocrat and Chronicle morning paper of Rochesterhttp://rocwiki.org/Democrat_%26_Chronicle accessed 17 February 2008] .By 1929 the company owned 16 newspapershttp://www.westirondequoit.org/iroquois/Rochester/Gannett.htm accessed 17 February 2008] .Active in state politics, Gannett took a neutral stand to the
New Deal in 1936 before joining the opposition against PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt 's court-packing scheme. He helped the Republicans retake control of Rochester's City Council a year later. At one time (1939-1940), he ran for presidential nomination. He was a founding member of theNational Committee to Uphold Constitutional Government .In his remaining years he worked hard to modernize his regional newspaper conglomerate. He was always striving to obtain modern ideas and machinery. The Gannett company owned 22 newspapersat the time of Gannett's death in Rochester in 1957. However, it was only after he died that the company grew nation-wide. The
Gannett Corporation that he founded today includes such newspapers as "USA Today ".The libraries at
Elmira College http://www.elmira.edu/academics/library/about/location Gannett-Tripp Library at Elmira College accessed 17 February 2008] ,Utica College http://www.utica.edu/academic/library/aboutlib/maps/UC%20Library%20Map.pdf Frank E. Gannett Memorial Library at Utica College accessed 17 February 2008] , andIthaca College http://www.ithaca.edu/tour/gannett.php Gannett Center at Ithaca College accessed 17 February 2008] are named for him, in addition to the student health center atCornell University (Gannett Health Services)http://www.gannett.cornell.edu/ Gannett Health Services at Cornell University accessed 17 February 2008] and the building that houses the printing and photography programs atRochester Institute of Technology http://whatsinaname.rit.edu/buildings/?id=7 RIT: What's In A Name?] . There is also the Frank E. Gannett Field House named after him at
Wilson College inChambersburg, Pennsylvania http://www.wilson.edu/wilson/asp/content.asp?id=175 Frank E. Gannett Field House at Wilson College accessed 17 February 2008] .Frank Gannett is buried in historic Mt. Hope Cemetery in
Rochester, New York http://www.fomh.org/history.php accessed 17 February 2008] .References
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