- Joseph Medill
Infobox_Politician
name = Joseph Medill
width = 150px
height = 200px
birth_date = birth date|1823|4|6|mf=y
birth_place = Saint John,New Brunswick ,Canada
death_date = death date and age|1899|3|16|1823|4|6|mf=y
death_place =Chicago ,Illinois
residence =Wheaton, Illinois
office = Mayor of Chicago
order = 26th
term_start = 1871
term_end = 1873
predecessor =Roswell B. Mason
successor = (Lester L. Bond ),Harvey Doolittle Colvin
party = Fireproof
religion =
spouse =
children =
website =Joseph Medill (
April 6 ,1823 –March 16 ,1899 ) is better known as the business manager and managing editor of the "Chicago Tribune " than as mayor ofChicago , although his term in office occurred during two of the most important years of the city's history as Chicago tried to rebuild in the aftermath of theGreat Chicago Fire .Medill was born in Saint John,
New Brunswick ,Canada .During the
American Civil War , Medill's great journalistic enemy was The "Chicago Times ", run byCyrus McCormick . Eventually McCormick's nephew married Medill's daughter Kate. Strongly supportive ofAbraham Lincoln , the Tribune was instrumental in his nomination for the Presidency. Although he may have had racist tendencies, Medill used his editorial stance to stand up for the abolitionist cause and was a strong supporter of Lincoln's bid for the presidency.Edwin Cowles and Medill established the "Leader" inCleveland, Ohio . In 1854, Capt. J. D. Webster who owned part of the "Chicago Tribune" asked Medill to become managing editor. Medill was interested. Dr. C. H. Ray ofGalena, Illinois encouraged him further throughHorace Greeley who wrote a letter encouraging Medill to start a newspaper with Ray in Chicago. Medill returned to Cleveland to sell his interest in the "Leader" to Cowles and returned to Chicago with Edwin's brotherAlfred Cowles, Sr. Alfred Cowles, Medill and Ray each purchased one third of the "Tribune". [cite book|author=Rushton, Wyatt|title=Joseph Medill and the Chicago Tribune (thesis)|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=gcc7AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA7-IA2|publisher=University of Wisconsin-Madison via Google Books full view|date=1916|accessdate=2007-10-24 and cite book|author=White, James Terry|title=The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography: Being the History of the United States|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Td0DAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA224|publisher=James T. White & Company, via New York Public Library via Google Books full view|date=1895|accessdate=2007-10-24]Medill's mayoral term was from 1871 to 1873, and he ran under the unique "Fireproof" party (a means of bringing attention to his rebuilding efforts after the Chicago Fire). 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 department. In ill health and tiring of mayoral responsibilities, Medill took a leave of absence and appointedLester L. Bond as acting mayor while he traveled throughoutEurope .Medill's country estate in
Wheaton, Illinois , which was later occupied by his grandson,Robert R. McCormick , who named itCantigny , is now open to the public as a beautiful public garden, picnic area and museum for the First Division of the US Army [http://www.mccormicktribune.org/firstdivision/] [http://www.mccormicktribune.org/firstdivision/firstdivision.htm] . The Medill-McCormick home is also open for tours as a museum.The
Medill School of Journalism , one of the many schools that composeNorthwestern University , and one of the topjournalism schools in theUnited States , is named after Joseph Medill.Medill was a signer of the 1891
Blackstone Memorial .Medill had two daughters, Kate and Elinor, known as Nellie. While Kate married the nephew of Medill's chief rival McCormick, Nellie married
Robert W. Patterson Jr. , an influential reporter at the Tribune. Each daughter named her firstborn son after her successful father: Katie had Joseph Medill McCormick, and Nellie hadJoseph Medill Patterson . Nellie's son became a successful newspaper owner himself, founding theNew York Daily News and rivaling the dynasty ofWilliam Randolph Hearst . Nellie's daughter,Cissy Patterson , also achieved fame as a publisher. Joseph Medill Patterson's daughter and Medill's great-granddaughter,Alicia Patterson , founded and editedNewsday . Medill's great-great grandson,Joseph Medill Patterson Albright , married future (now former)United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright .Notes
External links
* [http://www.medill.northwestern.edu/whois/ Medill School of Journalism - Joseph M. Medill] biography
* [http://www.mccormicktribune.org/ Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation] official site
* [http://www.cantignypark.com/ Cantigny Park] official site
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