Blogging, c. 1940

or, How My Dad Became the Editorial Page Editor for the St. Louis Star-Times

My dad’s relationship with the St. Louis Star-Times began with a letter to the editor he’d written.

The now-defunct St. Louis Star-Times was the result of a merger between the St. Louis Star, which began publishing in 1888, and the St. Louis Times, which started in 1866. The Star-Times closed its doors in 1951 after having been acquired by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.At the left you can see a copy of the letter my dad received in response to his letter (no, we never throw anything away in my family). Click on the image for a larger image (>1MB). Here’s what the letter said:

Dear Mr. Schuler

We have read with interest your letter of September 25 and the enclosed editorial on the subject of Turkey. [ed. my dad had in fact visited Turkey a couple of years previously] I would like very much to have you write several other sample editorials and send them in to us. Meanwhile, it will be of help if you will fill out the enclosed personnel card for our consideration.

After hearing from you in the above regard, we will get in touch with you further.

Sincerely,

Frank W. Taylor

Managing Editor

And that was that. My dad continued as editorial page editor for the Star-Times for several years. The work paid practically nothing—he was essentially a volunteer. He supported himself by working as an associate with one of the big law firms in town.

Over the next few months I plan to post a number of my dad’s editorials. I think it will be interesting (at least for his grandchildren) to hear a voice from the past on the issues of what were the day but are to us the distant past.

He has a rather formal, 19^th century style—out of date even in 1940—but this really was how he spoke.

There are a couple of things about my dad’s relationship with the Star-Times that I think have some relevance for today. First, there’s no doubt in my mind that, if he were around today, my dad would be blogging. He was an early adopter for practically every technology that came down the pike: he was probably the first lawyer in St. Lous to use a dictaphone or own and use a copying machine. Hard to imagine but that’s how stodgy the practice of law was not too very long ago.

Second, it’s only quite recently from a historical standpoint that newspapers were considered professional activities at all. Newspaper reporters were English majors or poli sci majors or graduates of the school of hard knocks and most newspaper jobs paid practically nothing. It’s only in the last generation that this has changed.

Finally, consider the relationship between writer and managing editor. Frank Taylor needed somebody who could write and had ideas. He didn’t view him as a threat but as an opportunity.