William Randolph Hearst

William Randolph Hearst (April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American newspaper magnate, born in San Francisco, California.

Personal

Hearst was believed by many to have drummed-up the Spanish-American War of 1898 to encourage sales of his newspaper. His own political career suffered after the assassination of President William McKinley when a satirical poem by Ambrose Bierce he had published a few months earlier alluding to a possible McKinley assassination was unearthed.

Related Topics:
Spanish-American War - 1898 - William McKinley - Satirical - Ambrose Bierce

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In 1903, William married Millicent Veronica Willson (1882–1974), a beautiful 22-year-old chorus girl, in New York City. Nearly 20 years her senior, Hearst had been seeing her since she was 16. The couple had five sons: George Randolph Hearst (1904–1972), William Randolph Hearst Jr. (1908–1993), John Randolph Hearst (1910–1958), and twins Randolph Apperson Hearst (1915–2000) and David Whitmire Hearst (1915–1986). Though the couple stayed married until Hearst's death — they separated in 1926 — he was devoted to the popular movie actress and comedienne Marion Davies, (née Marion Cecilia Douras, 1897–1961), his mistress for more than thirty years.

Related Topics:
1903 - New York City - George Randolph Hearst - William Randolph Hearst Jr. - John Randolph Hearst - Randolph Apperson Hearst - David Whitmire Hearst

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A member of the United States House of Representatives (1903–1907), he failed in attempts to become mayor of New York City (1905 and 1909) and governor of New York (1906), being defeated for the governorship by Charles Evans Hughes. An opponent of the British Empire, Hearst opposed United States involvement in the First World War and attacked the formation of the League of Nations.

Related Topics:
United States House of Representatives - 1903 - 1907 - 1905 - 1909 - Governor of New York - 1906 - Charles Evans Hughes - British Empire - First World War - League of Nations

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Hearst's reputation suffered in the 1930s as his political views hardened. The once-radical champion of the people seemed to some to be dangerously close to pro-Fascism. His newspapers carried paid-for columns by both Hitler and Mussolini, and Hearst was said to have entertained Mussolini's girl-friend Margherita Sarfatti during her tour of the US). But while he saw himself only as a staunch anti-Communist, Hearst was not the only non-German to find Nazism attractive. Eugene Schueller, the founder of French cosmetics giant L'Oréal, was also an open adherent during this period. Charles Lindbergh, car maker Henry Ford, and head of the Du Pont trust Irénée Du Pont, were also admirers of Hitler. While casually touring with Marion Davies, Hearst attended the Nuremberg rally of 1934, and struck a newsreel deal with Hitler. Douglas Tottle, author of Fraud, Famine, and Fascism: The Ukrainian Genocide Myth from Hitler to Harvard claims that secret deal was to use fraudulent pictures and stories to fabricate a story that the Soviet government forced a famine in the Ukraine in order to gain support for the future Nazi invasion of Ukraine.

Related Topics:
Hitler - Mussolini - Margherita Sarfatti - Anti-Communist - Eugene Schueller - L'Oréal - Charles Lindbergh - Henry Ford - Irénée Du Pont - Nuremberg rally - Douglas Tottle - Soviet - Famine - Ukraine - Nazi

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He also, according to hemp-industry proponents, was instrumental in publicizing and orchestrating a 1937 oil-and-timber-industry-led media campaign http://www.sumeria.net/politics/conrad.html http://www.zpub.com/sf/history/will2.html http://www.hemp-sisters.com/Information/misinformation.htm http://www.sur-le-champ.com/english/e_chan_histoire.html http://www.welcomehome.org/cohip/PAGES/IND_HEMP/H-DOWNS.HTM to discredit hemp (an inexpensive petroleum and paper substitute) and marijuana, which led within months to the drug and the plant being outlawed in the United States. Hearst himself reputedly profited due to his interests in the pulp-and-paper business.

Related Topics:
Hemp - Marijuana

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