William Allen White

Born in Emporia, Kansas on February 10, 1868, William Allen White was a nationally-known newspaper editor for much of his life, having purchased The Emporia Gazette in 1895 and continuing as its editor until his death on January 31, 1944. Influential on the American political stage in the first half of the 20th century, White was an early supporter of the Progressive Party spearheaded by Robert M. LaFollette, Sr..

White married Sallie Lindsay on April 27,1893, and had their first child, son William Lindsay, in 1900. Four years later in 1904, daughter Mary, was born. Mary died at an early age in an unfortunate horse-riding accident in 1921, and White wrote a moving eulogy to his daughter in The Emporia Gazette. His son William, a Harvard graduate, succeeded White as editor of The Emporia Gazette after his death in 1944.

His editorial, "To an Anxious Friend" (July 27, 1922), received a Pulitzer Prize in 1923.

Quotation

A rift in the clouds in a gray day threw a shaft of sunlight upon her coffin as her nervous, energetic little body sank to its last sleep. But the soul of her, the glowing, gorgeous, fervent soul of her, surely was flaming in eager joy upon some other dawn.

From his eulogy for his daughter

Trivia

The pop/rock musical group They Might Be Giants used giant cardboard cutouts of White's face in their early music videos from the 80's.

External Links

Categories: 1868 births | Pulitzer Prize winners | People from Kansas