Andrew J. Aikens
| Andrew J. Aikens | |
|---|---|
Andrew J. Aikens in his later years
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| Born |
Andrew Jackson Aikens October 31, 1828 Barnard, Vermont |
| Died | January 22, 1909 (aged 80) Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Cause of death | stroke |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Newspaper publisher |
| Employer | The Evening Wisconsin |
| Known for | Preprinted sheets for weekly newspapers called "patent insides" |
Andrew Jackson Aikens, Sr. (1828-1909) was an American newspaper publisher and editor who was associated for more than half a century with The Evening Wisconsin, a daily newspaper published in the city of Milwaukee.
Aikens is regarded as the creator of the "patent inside" preprinted sheet in 1863 — an early form of syndicated news and advertising content which helped to make the production of small weekly newspapers economically viable. At the time of his death it was estimated that some 10,000 newspapers — half of the weeklies in the United States — made use of some form of the preprinted page pioneered by Aikens.
Andrew Jackson Aikens, Sr. was born October 31, 1828, in Barnard, Vermont. He was the son of ethnic Scots, with American ancestors on his father's side dating back to colonists arriving in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1660 and his mother tracing family history back to the last surviving member of the Mayflower.
Aikens attended school until the age of 15, when he was graduated from high school. Following graduation, Aikens become an apprentice in the office of a printing office and newspaper located in . Over his four year apprenticeship, Aikens would become skilled in the craft of offset printing and the business of journalism, being hired as editor of the Woodstock weekly upon completion of his apprenticeship.
He would later move on to other editorial positions for weekly newspapers located in the towns of Bennington, Vermont and North Adams, Massachusetts. Aikens was deeply interested in politics from a young age and in 1852 he was elected as a delegate to the National Convention of the abolitionist Free Soil Party, helping to nominate John P. Hale for the office of President of the United States at Pittsburgh. Aikens spoke throughout the New England region on Hales' behalf, marking the beginning of a lifetime of dedication to the principles of the anti-slavery and pro-unionist Republican Party.
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