William Allen White
| William Allen White | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
February 10, 1868 Emporia, Kansas, United States |
| Died | January 29, 1944 (aged 75) Emporia, Kansas |
| Education | College of Emporia and University of Kansas |
| Occupation | Newspaper editor, author |
| Spouse(s) | Sallie Lindsay |
| Children | William Lindsay White, Mary |
| Parent(s) | Allen, Mary Ann |
William Allen White (February 10, 1868 – January 29, 1944) was a renowned American newspaper editor, politician, author, and leader of the Progressive movement. Between 1896 and his death, White became the iconic spokesman for middle America.
Born in Emporia, Kansas, White moved to El Dorado, Kansas, with his parents, Allen and Mary Ann Hatten White, where he spent the majority of his childhood. He loved animals and reading various books. He attended the College of Emporia and the University of Kansas, and in 1892 started work at The Kansas City Star as an editorial writer.
In 1895 White bought the Emporia Gazette for $3000 from William Yoast Morgan and became its editor.
In 1896 White attracted national attention with a scathing attack on William Jennings Bryan, the Democrats, and the Populists titled "What's the Matter With Kansas?" White sharply ridiculed Populist leaders for letting Kansas slip into economic stagnation and not keeping up economically with neighboring states because their anti-business policies frightened away economic capital from the state. He accused Bryan of socialism and wrote, "The election will sustain Americanism or it will plant socialism." The Republicans sent out hundreds of thousands of copies of the editorial in support of William McKinley during the United States presidential election, 1896.
With his warm sense of humor, articulate editorial pen, and commonsense approach to life, White soon became known throughout the country. His Gazette editorials were widely reprinted; he wrote syndicated stories on politics; and he published many books, including biographies of Woodrow Wilson and Calvin Coolidge. "What's the Matter With Kansas?" and "Mary White" — a tribute to his 16-year-old daughter on her death in 1921, portraying her as an anti-flapper — were his best-known writings. Locally he was known as the greatest booster for Emporia.
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