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William Randolph Hearst. Image by Anonymous –

Top 10 Facts about William Randolph Hearst

William Randolph Hearst was an American businessman, newspaper publisher, and politician. He is known for developing the nation’s largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications.

He was born on 29^th April 1863 in San Francisco. His parents were George Hearst and Phoebe Apperson. He was an only child. His father was a millionaire mining engineer, and owner of gold and other mines through his corporation.

In 1887 Hearst took over management of his father’s newspaper, the San Francisco Examiner. Giving his paper the grand motto “Monarch of the Dailies”, Hearst acquired the best equipment and the most talented writers of the time. He reported accounts of municipal and financial corruption, often attacking companies in which his own family held an interest. Within a few years, his paper dominated the San Francisco market.

1. Hearst developed the largest newspaper chain and media company

William Randolph Hearst. Image by B. M. Clinedinst –

Hearst bought the competing New York Journal in 1895. When he bought it was almost dying. He rebranded the paper and made himself the most attractive employer of his competitors.

He was generous, paid more than his competitors, gave credit to his writers with page-one bylines, and was unfailingly polite, unassuming, impeccably calm, and indulgent of all kinds of persons so long as they had useful talents.

The New York Journal soon attained unprecedented circulation as a result of its use of many illustrations, color magazine sections, and glaring headlines.

2. He was expelled from Harvard

William Randolph Hearst. Image by James Edward Purdy –

He enrolled in Harvard College in 1882. Just as any college kid, he loved parties. He would sponsor massive beer parties in Harvard Square.

His love for pulling pranks led him to last only two years at Harvard. He would send pudding pots used as chamber pots to his professors having their images depicted within the bowls. This behavior did not sit well with the school. In 1985 he was expelled.

However, the short stay at the school was not all in vain. He did pick up some good habits. While at Harvard, he worked on the school’s humor magazine, Lampoon.  He made the magazine into a money-making publication.

3. Hearst was an art collector

Silver, ivory art piece collected by William Randolph Hearst. Image by Daderot –

Along the way, Hearst acquired a taste for art. In as much as the love did not match the one for newspapers, he was very enthusiastic. He randomly collected art treasures in great numbers. He spent $1 million a year on art and antiques alone.

It is believed that he accounted for 25% of the world鈥檚 art market during the 1920s and 鈥�30s.鈥�

His collection was diverse. It ranged from medieval Italian armor to Navajo weavings to objects from South East Asia. Most of the art he owned was sold. It can be found at many institutions across the nation, including his Enchanted Hill in San Simeon.

4. He had a love affair that lasted till his death

Marion Davies, mistress to William Randolph Hearst, Alfred Cheney Johnston –

Hearst took a while to get married. He was finally ready at 40 years old. He had been in a long-term relationship with Tessie Powers. She was a waitress whom she had been with since his Harvard days. However, he married a 21 years old Broadway dancer, Millicent Wilson in 1903. Together they had 5 sons.

In 1917, he met and began an affair with one Marion Davies. She was an actress who had starred in several movies. However, she was best known for her relationship with William. He spent a lot of money on her acting career but it never really took off. Their love affair went on till his death!

5. Hearst was not a fan of paying taxes

William Randolph Hearst. Image by Unknown author –

Hearst was a spender. His annual expenditure was 15 million dollars. This led to financial problems. Even when his advisors came at him for his spending, he was convinced that the taxes were taking up all his money. He was He believed the American way was spending a dollar to earn a dollar.

He often compared tax collectors to gangsters and gunmen. He believed that the dreadful government was bothersome with its taxes demands. His mistress got into trouble with the government for the evasion of taxes. He severally changed residence between California and New York just to evade taxes.

6. He caused a war

Newspaper publishers Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, full-length, dressed as the Yellow Kid (a popular cartoon character of the day). Image by Leon Barritt –

The United States battleship Maine mysteriously exploded and sank in the harbor of Havana, Cuba, in 1898. The public blamed Spain which owned Cuba. Hearst traveled all over crying, 鈥淩emember the Maine.鈥�

Through exaggerated reportage, Hearst鈥檚 newspapers whipped up public sentiment against Spain. President William McKinley, who had opposed the war, yielded to public pressure and asked Congress to declare war. Thus the Spanish-American War of 1898.

Hearst鈥檚 voice was said to be unpredictable but so strategically placed. His voice made him more powerful than the president. One of his reporters once asked to go back home since there was no war to cover. Hearst told one of him to furnish him with pictures and he would furnish the war.

7. Hearst molded journalism

Ad for Hearst Newspapers. Image by Hearst publishing –

Hearst鈥檚 rival was Joseph Pulitzer whose newspaper was New York World. These two giants would mold journalism in an attempt to top each other. Their strategy was to push his agendas and popularize their newspapers. They used eye catchy headlines and relied on scandals.

They did a lot of reporting but their need to make sales superseded the truth. Hearst鈥檚 reporting had resulted in a war. The methods used caused the American journalism Yellow journalism.

He was the godfather of tabloid news. He used the papers to push his agendas and make money.

8. He gifted Marion Davies a castle

St Donat’s Castle, Image by Mick Lobb –Wikimedia

Hearst鈥檚 spending knew no bounds. He saw pictures of St. Donat鈥檚 castle in a magazine and decided that he wanted it. He restored it room by room. He went to the extent of buying entire rooms all over Europe and the UK.

He spared no expense. Marbled bathrooms and terraced gardens all went to improve the castle. They went ahead to host extravagant parties on the estate. The lavish parties were attended by the who is who at the time.

When he died. The castle was purchased by Antonin Besse II. It was later donated to Atlantic College, an international boarding school founded by Kurt Hahn in 1962, which still uses it.

9. Hearst went into near bankruptcy

HEARST, WILLIAM R. Image by Harris & Ewing –

Hearst鈥檚 spending; expensive obsession with art and pumping money into Marion Davie鈥檚 career almost cost his empire.

In the mid-1930s as other newspapers were flourishing, his almost went down. He was offered a buyout which he refused. He mortgaged his properties including a castle he was building. His financial advisors came to the rescue.

Drastic measures were put into place. A trustee was appointed. Art pieces were sold, staff were let go, exotic animals were sold to a zoo and his salary was cut in half. He even went to the extent of borrowing money from his mistress. She sold her jewelry, stocks, and bonds and even took a loan to raise the money. Bankruptcy was narrowly avoided.

10. His political attempts failed

William Randolf Hearst’s gubernatorial campaign button. Image by Wikipedia Loves Art participant “shooting_brooklyn” –

Hearst had political ambitions. He tried to aid his efforts in politics by opening newspapers in several cities. He sought to increase his popularity using his newspapers. In the mid-1920s, he has 28 newspapers worldwide. He diversified in book publishing and magazines.

Two attempts to congress were successful. Later attempts were unsuccessful. He failed narrowly to become mayor of New York.  He remained a Democrat. He went for the governor’s seat and he was defeated by Charles Evans Hughes. His unsuccessful campaigns for office earned him the unflattering but short-lived nickname of “William ‘Also-Randolph’ Hearst”.