Report by: Denise A. Brown
Flamboyant and exceedingly rich, William Randolph Hearst was a powerful American journalist, and newspaper publisher, who built a sizeable publishing empire, the nation’s most extensive newspaper chain and whose techniques profoundly impacted American journalism. At the peak of his success, he controlled in excess of two dozen newspapers, a variety of news syndication services (for example American Weekly), and more than a few well-known magazines (which included Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, and Harper’s Bazaar). William Randolph Hearst was born on April 29, 1863 in San Francisco, California. His father was George Hearst, a politician, influential industrialist, and publisher, who had accumulated a multimillion-dollar fortune in mining interests. His mother, Phoebe Apperson Hearst, was formerly a schoolteacher. Being the sole child of phenomenally wealthy folks, Hearst got spoiled, and provided all the advantages throughout boyhood. At age sixteen, Hearst managed to graduate from New Hampshire’s esteemed St. Paul’s Preparatory School, and entered Harvard University, wherein he exhibited the very first indications of coming to be a future publishing tycoon. At Harvard, he excelled at journalism and also served as the business manager of the Harvard Lampoon, the university’s comedy magazine. His election to the “Hasty Pudding” theatrical group unveiled his natural talent and interest in drama. While at Harvard, Hearst had been empowered by the New York World paper with its crusading publisher, Joseph Pulitzer. Hearst’s father had attained the crashing San Francisco Examiner newspaper to enhance his political role, and throughout the years Hearst pleaded with his father for the chance to manage the publication. George Hearst was skeptical of the young Hearst’s abilities and wished far better for him, for instance operating one of several mines he possessed. Around this period of time,
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