- Edward Rosewater
Infobox Person
name = Edward Rosewater
image_size =
caption = Edward Rosewater
birth_date = birth date|1841|01|28
birth_place =Bukovany ,Bohemia
death_date = death date and age|1906|08|30|1841|01|28
death_place =
occupation =Editor ,Publisher
spouse =Edward Rosewater, born Edward Rosenwasser, [Bristow, D. (1997) "A Dirty, Wicked Town: Tales of 19th Century Omaha." Caxton Press. p 93.] (
January 21 ,1841 –August 30 ,1906 ) was a Republican Partypolitician and newspaper editor inOmaha, Nebraska . Rosewater had a reputation for always being "aggressive and controversial", and was influential in Nebraska politics as one of the leaders of the state Republican Party. [(2001) [http://www.nebraskahistory.org/publish/publicat/timeline/rosewater_edward.htm Rosewater, Edward.] Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved 6/22/07.]Biography
Born in Bukovany,
Bohemia , to aJewish family, Rosewater immigrated to the United States in 1854.Abolitionist movement
Rosewater attended a
commercial college , and then entered thetelegraph withWestern Union . He worked inOberlin, Ohio in 1859 during the celebratedAbolitionist "cause celebre ", the Wellington rescue case. During that time Rosewater became closely associated withSimeon Bushnell andCharles Langston , leading Rosewater to immediately sign up for Union forces at the outbreak of theAmerican Civil War . In the spring of 1862 he started serving with the United States Telegraph Corps, staying with GeneralJohn C. Frémont throughout hisWest Virginia campaign. [(1888) " [http://www.rootsweb.com/~neresour/OLLibrary/Omaha_book/omaha043.htm Omaha Illustrated: A history of the pioneer period and the Omaha of today.] " Omaha: D.C. Dunbar & Co. Retrieved 6/24/07.]Later Rosewater was attached to the staff of General John Pope, remaining with him until after the
Second Battle of Bull Run . Afterwards he was stationed in Washington. While serving at theWhite House telegraph office, Rosewater was responsible for sending out PresidentAbraham Lincoln 's "Emancipation Proclamation " on January 1, 1863. [Bristow, D. (1999) [http://members.aol.com/dlbristow/editfite.htm "Hard-Hitting Journalism."] "A Dirty Wicked Town: Tales of 19th Century Omaha."]Arrival in Omaha
In the summer of 1863 when Rosewater came to
Omaha , it was the terminus of thePacific Telegraph Company . He was theWestern Union manager and anAssociated Press agent, and soon became the Omaha correspondent for several eastern daily newspapers. Rosewater married Leah Colman on November 13, 1864 inCleveland, Ohio , departing after the wedding forOmaha, Nebraska where he had secured a home for his new bride.In the fall of 1870 Rosewater was elected to the
Nebraska Territorial Legislature , and the following year founded the "Omaha Bee ". [(nd) [http://www.americanjewisharchives.org/aja/FindingAids/Rosewater.htm "Rosewater Family Papers".] American Jewish Archives. Retrieved 6/24/07.] While in the Legislature, Rosewater was credited with creating the firstOmaha Board of Education . He was historically regarded as the father ofOmaha Public Schools . [ [http://www.historicomaha.com/ofcchap5.htm "Chapter 5"] "Omaha's First Century". Special supplement to the "Omaha World-Herald." Retrieved 9/3/07.]Under his guidance the "Omaha Bee" supported progressive ideas such as creation of a
school board for theOmaha Public Schools and direct election of senators. But at the same time, Rosewater opposedwomen's suffrage . A period review of his writing style commented that he wrote "concise, pointed, and clear, and in political campaigns, especially, he is an untiring and dauntless fighter." [(1888) [http://www.rootsweb.com/~neresour/OLLibrary/Omaha_book/omaha043.htm ] "Omaha Illustrated: A history of the pioneer period and the Omaha of today." Omaha: D.C. Dunbar & Co. Retrieved 6/24/07.] [(nd) [http://www.unl.edu/nebnews/nnp_bios.html Nebraska Newspapers: Early Nebraska Journalists] . University of Nebraska Libraries. Retrieved 6/24/07.]Rosewater served on the
Republican National Committee in the late 19th century. In 1888 he built theBee Building , a downtown landmark which was demolished in 1966. He was an organizer for the 1898Trans-Mississippi Exposition , and was credited with much of the success of that event. [(nd) [http://www.nebpress.com/700/rosewater.php Edward Rosewater.] Nebraska Press Association. Retrieved 6/24/07.] and ran two losing campaigns for aU.S. Senate seat in Nebraska. He passed away at the "Omaha Bee" building on August 30, 1906. [(nd) [http://www.americanjewisharchives.org/aja/FindingAids/Rosewater.htm "Rosewater Family Papers".] American Jewish Archives. Retrieved 6/24/07.]Controversy
Rosewater constantly pursued his own version of news, and often got into violent confrontations, with one even being given front page treatment in the "
The Day's Doings ", a sensationalist New York City journal. In another fight Rosewater was almost killed by a local worker after reporting on that man's secret love affair. [Bristow, D. (1999) [http://members.aol.com/dlbristow/editfite.htm "Hard-Hitting Journalism."] "A Dirty Wicked Town: Tales of 19th Century Omaha."] Rosewater's style and treatment of the news left him open to constant criticism and attacks of his journalism, however, they also lent to personal attacks, more than one of which wereanti-Semitic in their nature. [Pollack, N. (1962) "The Myth of Populist Anti-Semitism." "The American Historical Review. 68"(1) October, pp. 77.]Legacy
Immediately before his death, Rosewater was involved in founding the
American Jewish Committee . After he died suddenly of natural causes, his son joined the AJC in his place. [(nd) [http://www.ajcarchives.org/main.php?GroupingId=1870 "American Jewish History and Jewish Culture."] American Jewish Committee Archives. Retrieved 6/24/07.] In 1957CBS and the AJC produced a dramatic television show highlighting Rosewater's arrival in Omaha, his anti-slavery attitude and his journalistic style. [(1957) [http://www.ajcarchives.org/main.php?DocumentId=11660 "Ready Mr. Rosewater?"] Produced by CBS and AJC.]Edward Rosewater's newspaper reporting style led to the "
Omaha Bee " being labeled an example ofyellow journalism . Critics believed its sensationalized news contributed to tensions resulting in theOmaha Race Riot of 1919 . [(nd) [http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0700/resources/0700_1040.html "Yellow Journalism Spikes Tension."] NebraskaStudies.org. Retrieved 6/24/07.]ee also
*
History of Omaha References
External links
* [http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0700/media/0701_013302.jpgHistoric photo] of Edward Rosewater.
* [http://www.nebraskahistory.org/lib-arch/research/manuscripts/family/rosewater-family.htm Rosewater Family papers] at theNebraska State Historical Society
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.