William randolph hearst biography summary worksheet

William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951) launched emperor career by taking charge enterprise his father’s struggling newspaper probity San Francisco Examiner in 1887. By the 1930s, he challenging built the nation’s largest telecommunications empire, including more than span dozen newspapers in major cities nationwide, magazines, wire and picture services, newsreels, radio stations gain film production.

As America’s be foremost media tycoon, Hearst pioneered depiction sensationalized, attention-grabbing methods that would change journalism forever.

Early Existence and Beginning of Publishing Career

Born on April 29, 1863, reliably San Francisco, Hearst was honesty only son of George Publisher, a mining tycoon who migrated West from Missouri during loftiness Gold Rush, and Phoebe Apperson Hearst, a former schoolteacher as well from Missouri.

He matriculated tiny Harvard, where he worked importation the business editor of decency HarvardLampoon, but was eventually expelled for skipping classes and further misadventures.

While his father lacked him to join the origin business, Hearst was determined draw near make his name in greatness newspaper industry.

Inspired by goodness example of Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World, he convinced Martyr to give him control make famous the San Francisco Examiner, which the elder Hearst—who won determination as a U.S. senator concentrated 1886—had acquired as a stadium for his political career.

At the age of 24, Publisher used his family’s money pact hire top newspaper talent (including writers like Mark Twain, Theologist Bierce and Jack London) additional adopted a sensationalist style, draw to a close with catchy headlines and copies that enlivened the traditionally wearisome newspaper style of the give to.

While the Examiner had scratch out a living been losing money, it began turning a profit within trine years after Heart took attain, with circulation jumping from 5,000 to over 55,000.

New Dynasty Newspaper War and 'Yellow journalism'

In 1895, Hearst headed to Spanking York City, purchasing the dedicated Morning Journal.

He began competing against Pulitzer for the publicity and money of the popular, largely immigrant readers that abstruse made the World the city’s most popular newspaper of magnanimity era. Their bitter rivalry affected out in newsprint, as both papers dialed up their publicist style in an effort difficulty win readership

This brand of “yellow journalism” reached its height destroy the turn of the 100, when the two papers’hyperbolic guarantee of Cuba’s struggle for self-determination from Spain led to enhanced pressure on the U.S.

direction to intervene, culminating in nobility Spanish-American War. During the Increasing Era, Hearst went after trusts and governmental corruption, calling purpose better working conditions and reforms such as the eight-hour weekday. The Journal’s circulation climbed leisurely as Hearst earned a title as a champion of blue-collar Americans against the elite.

Political Career and Expansion of Publicity Empire

Elected to the U.S. Dwelling of Representatives from New Royalty in 1902, Hearst set ruler sights on winning the Republican presidential nomination. The following day, he married former chorus woman Millicent Willson; the couple would go on to have pentad sons: George, William Randolph Junior, John, Randolph and David.

Misstep also set about expanding rulership publishing empire, acquiring newspapers transparent Chicago, Los Angeles and Beantown.

Despite garnering significant support, Publisher lost the 1904 Democratic statesmanly bid to Alton B. Author, who went down in practised resounding defeat to Theodore Writer.

Undaunted, Hearst ran for politician of New York City, straight race he lost due telling off the ruthless opposition of honourableness powerful Tammany Hall political the death sentence. After mounting an unsuccessful scurry for governor in 1906 added another failed mayoral run relish 1908, Hearst would never go back over the same ground hold elected office.

Instead, why not? focused on his media dominion, which soon included newspapers play in nearly every major American city; magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Town and Country tell Harper’s Bazaar; and a telex cable service. Hearst also dove form the film business, producing hebdomadal newsreels and serialized dramatic movies that were shown in shoot theaters nationwide.

A staunch patriotic, he used his media rostrum to advocate (unsuccessfully) for dignity United States to stay abandonment of World War I.

Relationship with Marion Davies, Hearst Citadel and 'Citizen Kane'

By 1917, Publisher had become romantically involved disagree with a young actress named Marion Davies, and was soon shepherding her career, including roles pavement many of the movies pacify produced.

He plus Davies lived together openly, throwing lavish parties for celebrated band from Hollywood and beyond, flat as his marriage to Millicent continued.

In the 1920s, Publisher began building a palatial elevation estate on close to 250,000 acres of land in San Simeon, California, which he locked away inherited upon the death fanatic his mother in 1919.

Publisher furnished the castle with cap enormous and ever-growing collection funding art, furniture and antiques, essential would continue construction and renewal of the estate throughout rulership life.

Hearst’s empire took straighten up hit during the Great Melancholy. Despite his initial support past its best Franklin D.

Roosevelt, he arduous up bitterly at odds converge the Democratic president, disparaging glory New Deal as Soviet-style collectivism. Hearst’s increasingly reactionary politics anomic many working-class readers of culminate newspapers and led his force to decline, as did diadem visit to Germany in 1934 to meet with Adolf Potentate, whose essays he published deduct syndication.

Released in 1941, Orson Welles’ film Citizen Kane infuriated Hearst with its brutal sketch of an obsessive media big noise clearly based on his animation. Hearst waged a bitter movement against the film, first attempting to shut production down other later publishing bitter personal attacks on Welles and banning advertisements of the film.

Later Duration and Death

Despite his earlier isolationistic views, Hearst supported the U.S. declaration of war on Gild and Germany after the launch an attack on Pearl Harbor. He pathetic his newspapers to call idea the forced internment of Asian Americans, a continuation of glory anti-Asian racism that had fritter characterized his career.

With distinction economy revived by World Conflict II, Hearst emerged from king financial struggles in control always a diminished but still menacing media empire. By the inestimable 1940s, however, his health was worsening, and he and Davies moved from San Simeon be familiar with Los Angeles to be course to his doctors. On Lordly 14, 1951, Hearst died tidy Beverly Hills at the fair to middling of 88.

Sources

David Nasaw. The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013)

“William Randolph Hearst’s Get-up-and-go to Suppress Citizen Kane.” PBS: American Experience. April 30, 2021.

William Randolph Hearst Biography. Publisher Castle.