Whitelaw Reid

Born near Xenia, Ohio, on October 27, 1837, he graduated from Miami University and began his career in journalism at a young age. He gained wide notice as a Civil War correspondent, then joined Horace Greeley at the New-York Tribune in 1868.

After Greeley’s death in 1872, he took control of the paper and led it for decades, becoming one of the best-known newspaper publishers of his time. He also wrote Ohio in the War, and his influence extended beyond journalism into national politics, including a run for vice president on the Republican ticket in 1892.

Public service became a major part of his later life. He served as U.S. minister to France from 1889 to 1892 and as ambassador to Great Britain from 1905 until his death in London on December 15, 1912. Today he is remembered as a figure who stood at the crossroads of American media, politics, and diplomacy.