Incorporation
The newspaper’s organization prior to 1913 was a simple business partnership between the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The masthead section would state that the newspaper was published by the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, using the last names of these two students. As such, The Dartmouth was financially independent from the College. Although this system worked, it was recognized that some formal organization would be needed, making the newspaper an independent corporate organization that would be able to withstand an assault by the College.
On September 18, 1913, a news story announced that The Dartmouth had become a corporation chartered in Maine over the summer break. “Instead of a mere union of editors putting forth a newspaper by common consent, there is a legal corporation for the purpose, a legal entity which exists in the eyes of the law apart from the particular individuals who form its personnel at a given time. The paper has changed from individualistic to corporate control,” the issue read.
The newspaper’s Board of Management (currently called the Directorate, the group of editors and business directors) worked with Mr. Ernest M. White ’05, of Portland, Maine, who spent many hours preparing and executing the incorporation of the paper. The newspaper was chartered in Maine because the College could have a powerful hold on New Hampshire politicians if necessary, since it was a major employer and influence in the state. By incorporating the newspaper in Maine, the newspaper could escape some of the College’s political power in case of a lawsuit.
In 1939, the College's political influence was no longer deemed problematic, and The Dartmouth, Inc. was transferred from Maine to New Hampshire.
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