Arthur Brisbane - Biography

Biography

Born in Buffalo, New York, he was educated in the United States and Europe. In 1882, he began work as a newspaper reporter and editor in New York City, first at the Sun and later Joseph Pulitzer's New York World. Hired away from Pulitzer by William Randolph Hearst, became editor of the New York Journal and Hearst's close friend. His syndicated editorial column had an estimated daily readership of over 20 million, according to Time magazine. He remained occupied in journalism and the newspaper field until his death in 1936, but also was a successful real estate investor. He is buried in the Batavia Cemetery at Batavia, New York.

At his death, Hearst said, "I know that Arthur Brisbane was the greatest journalist of his day," and Damon Runyon said "Journalism has lost its all-time No. 1 genius." (Time: Death of Brisbane)

He was the son of Albert Brisbane. His grandson, Arthur S. Brisbane, was appointed Public Editor of The New York Times in June 2010.

In 1897, he accepted the editorship of the Evening Journal, flagship of the Hearst chain, and through it gained influence unmatched by any editor in the United States. His direct and forceful style influenced the form of American editorial and news writing. The saying, "If you don't hit the reader between the eyes in your first sentence of your news column, there's no need to write any more," is attributed to him.

Hearst biographer W.A. Swanberg ("Citizen Hearst," 1961, Galahad Books, N.Y.) describes Brisbane as "a one-time socialist who had drifted pleasantly into the profit system... in some respects a vest-pocket Hearst -- a personal enigma, a workhorse, a madman for circulation, a liberal who had grown conservative, an investor." (pp. 390–391)

While an employee of Hearst—at one point boasting of making $260,000 in a year (Swanberg, p 427) -- Brisbane also was known for buying failing newspapers, re-organizing them, and selling them to Hearst. In 1918, he became editor of the Chicago Herald and Examiner, and in the 1920s became editor of Hearst's first tabloid, the New York Mirror. He remained part of the Hearst media empire until his death in 1936.

What many people don't know is that Arthur Brisbane, the famous publisher, donated his 1920's Pierce-Arrow touring car to the fire department. The members converted it to the racing rig shown below and were known as "The Suicide Squad." A member designed the rear wheels skirts. It was used as an emergency vehicle.

A Time magazine Aug. 16, 1926, cover story described his influence like this:

The New York American, the Chicago Herald-Examiner, the San Francisco Examiner and many another newspaper owned by Publisher Hearst, to say nothing of some 200 non-Hearst dailies and 800 country weeklies which buy syndicated Brisbane, all publish what Mr. Brisbane has said. His column is headed, with simple finality, "Today," a column that vies with the weather and market reports for the size of its audience, probably beating both. It is said to be read by a third of the total U. S. population. Obviously this is an exaggeration, but half that many would be some 20 million readers, "Today" and every day. .

Several volumes of Brisbane's editorials were published, including "The Book of Today," "The Book of Today and the Future Day,"and "The Brisbane advertising philosophy." At the time of his death, he was considered the "virtual executive director" of the Hearst news and media empire.

From 1924 until 1935, artist Mel Cummin "originated and drew many of the big, eight-column cartoons" for Brisbane's editorials in the New York Sunday American, the New York Evening Journal and occasionally The Mirror. Cummin, a well-known member of the Explorer's Club, called Brisbane "a well-informed naturalist," and said the two collaborators discussed the subject of Naturalism frequently.