William Randolph Hearst Biography

(Newspaper Baron)

Birthday: April 29, 1863 (Taurus)

Born In: San Francisco, California, United States

William Randolph Hearst was one of the most successful newspaper barons in the history of American journalism. Born into a wealthy family, Hearst used his family wealth to build a massive media empire, which went on to become the nation’s largest newspaper chain. His methods of publishing made a considerable impact in American journalism and led to the formation of what came to be known as ‘yellow journalism’- a method of sensationalising news stories. He began his career as a publisher with the 'The San Francisco Examiner', which his father had acquired previously. He later acquired 'The New York Journal'. He eventually owned a chain of more than 30 newspapers across cities in the U.S. He also had a brief stint in politics and served as a Member of the U.S. House of Representative from New York's 11th district. However, he ran unsuccessfully for the mayor of New York City and the governor of New York. Through his media empire, he exercised enormous political influence and created public opinion. The main character in the film, ‘Citizen Cane’ was based on his life.

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Quick Facts

Also Known As: William Randolph Hearst Sr.

Died At Age: 88

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Millicent Veronica Willson

father: George Hearst

mother: Phoebe Apperson

children: David Whitmire Hearst, George Randolph Hearst, John Randolph Hearst, Patricia Van Cleve Lake, Randolph Apperson Hearst, William Randolph Hearst Jr.

Born Country: United States

Business People American Men

Died on: August 14, 1951

place of death: Beverly Hills, California, United States

U.S. State: California

City: San Francisco, California

Founder/Co-Founder: New York Daily Mirror, Universal News and International News Service

More Facts

education: Harvard University, Harvard College

  • 1

    When did William Randolph Hearst establish his media empire?

    William Randolph Hearst established his media empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the acquisition of newspapers and other publications.
  • 2

    What impact did William Randolph Hearst's yellow journalism had?

    William Randolph Hearst's "yellow journalism" sensationalized news and played a significant role in shaping public opinion and influencing politics during his time.

  • 3

    How did William Randolph Hearst's media outlets cover the Spanish-American War?

    William Randolph Hearst's media outlets, particularly the New York Journal, were known for their sensationalized and biased coverage of the Spanish-American War, which helped fuel public support for US intervention.
  • 4

    What was the controversy surrounding William Randolph Hearst's involvement in the film industry?

    William Randolph Hearst's involvement in the film industry was controversial due to his efforts to control content and promote his own interests through his production company, which led to conflicts with filmmakers and actors.
  • 5

    How did William Randolph Hearst's influence extend beyond the media industry?

    William Randolph Hearst's influence extended beyond the media industry into politics, where he used his publications to support political candidates and initiatives aligned with his own interests.
Childhood & Early Life
William Randolph Hearst was born on April 19, 1863, San Francisco to George Hearst and Phoebe Apperson Hearst. His father was a millionaire; he was a mining engineer and goldmine owner.
William was educated in private schools. His enormous family wealth enabled him to go on European holidays. In 1885, he took admission in the Harvard College, where he edited the 'Harvard Lampoon'.
He was later expelled from Harvard College due to his misconduct. He allegedly organised beer parties, funding them in the Harvard Square. He also reportedly misbehaved with his professors.
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Career
In 1887, he presided over the management of the 'San Francisco Examiner', a paper that his father had bought previously. He gave the paper the motto, ‘Monarch of the Dailies' and employed skilled writers of that time.
In 1895, with the financial help from his mother, he purchased the 'New York Morning Journal', which at the time of the purchase was faring very badly in the market. He hired accomplished writers for the paper.
The main rival of the 'New York Morning Journal' was the 'New York World', which attracted its readers with sensational headlines and dramatic news stories, cartoons and a series of crime and human interest stories.
In order to improve sales, he followed same techniques which the 'New York World' was using. Soon his paper’s readership increased manifolds and the 'New York World' forced to reduce its price to attract readers.
He further played a spoilsport in the ‘New York World’ success story by attracting employees, offering them higher salaries. By 1897, his 'New York Morning Journal' was doing better than its rival, 'New York World'.
Even though his paper supported the Democratic Party, in 1896, his paper strongly went against the presidential candidate, William Jennings Bryan.
In 1898, he was accused of manipulating public opinion in order to push the United States into a war with Spain. As a result of the war, Spain relinquished sovereignty over Cuba.
In 1900, following his father’s footsteps, he set his foot into the world of politics and entered in the bid for U.S. presidency, for which he spent over 2 million.
In 1902, he was elected into the House of Representatives, where he served for two terms. Later, while simultaneous managing his media empire, he ran for the seat of the Mayor of New York City and Governor of New York, losing both.
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After failed attempts in politics, he resumed his career in publishing. After his mother’s death in 1919, he was left with a fortune, which he spent lavishly on property, artwork and other luxuries.
By the 1920s, his media empire had grown to become an immensely successful one, which included 20 daily papers and 11 Sunday papers across 13 U.S cities. One in every four Americans read his paper.
He soon took control over the International News Service. He also owned many magazines, including ‘Cosmopolitan’, ‘Good Housekeeping’ and ‘Harper's Bazaar’. He also set foot in film and newsreel companies.
By 1937, the Hearst Corporation faced many challenges and the court had ordered re-organisation. This forced him to sell of many of his prized art collections and antiques to pay creditors.
Personal Life & Legacy
On April 27, 1903, he married Millicent Willson, who was a 21-year-old chorus girl in New York City. The couple had five sons.
Meanwhile, around 1917, he began a romantic relationship with Marion Davies. After two years, the two began living together.
In 1920, Millicent Willson parted ways with him, but not legally. Thus, she legally remained his wife until his death.
He died on August 14, 1951, at the age of 88 in Beverly Hills. He was laid to rest at the Hearst family mausoleum at the Cypress Lawn Cemetery in Colma, California.
Facts About William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst had a private zoo at his estate, where he kept exotic animals such as lions, tigers, and elephants.
Hearst was a prolific art collector and amassed a vast collection of paintings, sculptures, and other works of art from various time periods and cultures.
He was known for his extravagant parties and lavish entertaining, often hosting elaborate gatherings at his palatial homes for famous guests from the worlds of politics, entertainment, and business.
Hearst was an early supporter of aviation and owned his own private airfield, where he would host air shows and demonstrations of the latest aircraft technology.
Despite his reputation as a powerful media mogul, Hearst also had a softer side and was known for his philanthropy, supporting various charitable causes and organizations throughout his life.

See the events in life of William Randolph Hearst in Chronological Order

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Article Title
- William Randolph Hearst Biography
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