author
Franklin Matthews
1858–1917
A veteran newspaperman and teacher of journalism, he wrote with the pace of a reporter and a strong feel for public life. His best-known books grew out of firsthand coverage of war, politics, and the U.S. Navy’s world-circling “Great White Fleet.”
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About the author
Born in St. Joseph, Michigan, in 1858, Franklin Matthews studied at Cornell University before beginning a career in journalism. Sources agree that he worked first in newspaper and lecture-related roles in the 1880s, then went on to report and edit for major papers, building a reputation as a clear, experienced newspaperman.
Matthews is especially associated with The Sun of New York, where he served as a reporter and editor for many years. Reference sources describe him as a correspondent on the Spanish-American War and on the 1907–1908 voyage of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, later known as the “Great White Fleet,” which became the basis for With the Battle Fleet. He also wrote Our Navy in Time of War, bringing a reporter’s eye to military and national affairs.
In his later years, Matthews taught at the Columbia School of Journalism, sharing practical newsroom experience with future reporters. He died in 1917, leaving behind work that sits at the meeting point of journalism, history, and eyewitness narrative.