William Byron Colver

William Byron Colver
Colver in 1917
Born	(1870-09-26)September 26, 1870 Wellington, Ohio, U.S.
Died	May 28, 1926(1926-05-28) (aged 55) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Alma mater	Ohio State University
Occupations	Journalist lawyer
Spouse	Pauline Simmons ​ (m. 1897)​
Signature

William Byron Colver (September 26, 1870 - May 28, 1926) was chairman of the Federal Trade Commission and general editorial director of the Scripps‐Howard newspapers. He was a member of the price-fixing committee of the War Industries Board during World War I.

Early life

William Byron Colver was born on September 26, 1870, in Wellington, Ohio, to Josephine L. (née Noble) and Byron H. Colver.^[1][2][3] He attended common schools and graduated from Ohio State University in 1891. He was admitted to the bar in 1892.^[1][4][5][6]

Career

After graduating, Colver practiced law in Cleveland and Sandusky for two years.^[1][7]

He was a journalist for The Cleveland Leader (then the Plain Dealer) and later the Cleveland Press.^[4][7] During the Russo-Japanese War, he traveled to Japan and China, and he served as a war correspondent in Manchuria.^[8][9] He served as New York and Washington correspondent for the Scripps‐Howard newspapers (then Scripps-McRae) from 1898 to 1900. He helped organize the Newspaper Editorial Alliance and served as its general manager from 1907 to 1912 and also served as editor.^{[2][4][7][10]} In his obituary, it was noted his editorials were influential in highlighting the forest exploitation in the Pinchot–Ballinger controversy and leading to the resignation of Secretary of the Interior Richard A. Ballinger.^[4] He was appointed as secretary of the Cleveland Municipal Street Railway Company and served for one year. He fought for public control of the streetcar lines during Mayor Tom L. Johnson's tenure.^[4][10] In December 1904, he was appointed as Cuyahoga County tax inquisitor.^[8][4] He served as editor-in-chief of the Clover Leaf newspapers in Minnesota and Nebraska until 1917. He was also publisher of the Daily News.^[2][4][10]

On March 21, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson appointed Colver to the Federal Trade Commission.^[1][11][12] He served as chairman of the commission from 1918 to 1919. He left the commission in 1920.^[13] During his tenure, he led a number of fights including the "stolen files" case against Chicago meatpackers.^[4][14][15] During World War I, he served as a member of the price fixing committee of the War Industries Board.^[1][10]

In 1919, he formed the Scripps-Howard Newspaper Alliance (then Scripps-McRae Press Association). He later served as general editorial director for Scripps-Howard. He retired in 1924.^{[4][7][10][11]} An editorialist, he believed tabloid journalism would become competitive with standard newspapers. In a letter in April 1911, he wrote the editorial column was the "personality of the paper, its incarnation into human being".^[4]

Personal life

In 1897, Colver married Pauline Simmons of Cleveland.^[2][11] He had one daughter, Pollyanne.^[4][7] He was friends with Cleveland mayor Tom L. Johnson.^[1][4]

He died on May 28, 1926, at his home at 3303 18th Street N.W. in Washington, D.C.^[1][4] He was buried at Fort Lincoln Cemetery.^[7][10] His widow died in 1964.^[11]

References

1. "William B. Colver, 56, Dies in Washington". The Evening Press. May 29, 1926. p. 18. Retrieved January 11, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "William Byron Colver". The Evening Sun. August 4, 1919. p. 8. Retrieved January 12, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
3. Boltwood, Lucius M. (1878). History and Genealogy of the Family of Thomas Noble of Westfield, Massachusetts. Case, Lockwood & Brainard Company. pp. 229, 781. Retrieved January 12, 2024 – via Archive.org.
4. Pew, Marlen. "Colver, Editor and Public Servant, Dead". Editor & Publisher. pp. 7–8. Retrieved January 12, 2024 – via Archive.org.
5. Schuyler, Philip (April 19, 1924). "Colver Speaks of Newspaper of Tomorrow". Editor & Publisher. p. 28. Retrieved January 12, 2024 – via Archive.org.
6. Siebert, Wilbur H.; McNeal, Edgar Holmes (1938). History of the Ohio State University. Vol. 4. p. 185. Retrieved January 12, 2024 – via Archive.org.
7. "William B. Colver Funeral Tuesday". The Evening Star. May 29, 1926. p. 7. Retrieved January 11, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "W. B. Colver's Appointment". The Editor and Publisher. December 3, 1904. p. 2. Retrieved January 12, 2024 – via Archive.org.
9. THE VALIANT RUSSIANS POT TWO HARMLESS CHINK FERRY TENDERS, in the Tacoma Times (via Chronicling America); published June 10, 1904; retrieved August 9, 2017
10. "W. B. Colver, Journalist and Ex-Public Official, Dies". The Pittsburgh Press. May 29, 1926. p. 16. Retrieved January 11, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Mrs. William B. Colver". New York Times. December 28, 1964. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
12. "Two New Members Sworn to Federal Trade Board". The Chicago Daily Tribune. March 22, 1917. p. 14. Retrieved January 12, 2024 – via Archive.org.
13. "William Byron Colver". Retrieved April 11, 2015.
14. "Colver Accuses Packers of Food Monopoly". The National Provisioner. January 4, 1919. Retrieved January 12, 2024 – via Archive.org.
15. "Assails Big Meat Packers". New York Times. October 30, 1919. p. 25. Retrieved January 12, 2024 – via Archive.org.

External links

• Works by or about William Byron Colver at the Internet Archive