Lucius W. Nieman
Lucius William Nieman | |
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The Milwaukee Journal | |
Spouse | Agnes Wahl |
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Lucius William Nieman (December 13, 1857 – October 1, 1935) was an American businessman and founder of
Biography
Born at Bear Valley in Sauk County, Wisconsin, Lucius's father was Conrad Nieman; and Sara Elizabeth Delamater was his mother. He had an older sister Violette.[1]
Lucius was two years of age when his father died. His mother took him home to her parents: H. H. and Susan Cuppernall in Mukwonago. A local schoolteacher boarded at their home, and Lucius benefited from the adult company.
Theron Haight, editor of The Waukesha Freeman, gave Lucius his start in the publishing industry. At age 12 he was set to menial tasks, and eventually learned to set type. This skill brought him to the composing room of The Milwaukee Sentinel in 1871. Ambitious to become a journalist, Lucius returned to his grandmother Delamater and study at Carroll College in Waukesha.
In fact, he became the Waukesha correspondent for The Milwaukee Sentinel. The paper continued to employ Lucius, next as a
In 1880 Nieman went to
Nieman intended to provide a "channel for the expression of views not dictated by 'bossism' or corrupted by 'machine' politics."
In 1895 Nieman responded to a plea to help the less fortunate. "It might be a downright good thing to have the women run the Journal for a day", he said. On February 22 men were replaced in the editorial and business offices by female reporters and managers.[4]
Agnes Elizabeth Gunter Wahl became Mrs. Nieman on November 29, 1900. Her father
Lucius W. Nieman died in Milwaukee on October 1, 1935.[5]
Legacy
When Nieman died, his 55% interest in the Milwaukee Journal was valued at $3,850,000. He directed in his will that equal shares of stock sale proceeds go to his widow and to his niece, Faye McBeath, a Journal employee and assistant to Nieman.[6] The Nieman Foundation for Journalism was established after his widow, Agnes Wahl Nieman, left Harvard University $1 million in her will in 1937.
The Niemanlab[8] covers the Nieman Foundation, Nieman Reports, and Nieman Storyboard. Accountability journalism was backed by the Nieman Watchdog.[9] Accountability continues to be pursued in Nieman Reports.
At Marquette University in Milwaukee, the Department of Journalism and Media Studies has named a lead faculty position the Lucius W. Nieman Chair of Journalism.[10]
References
- ^ a b c Harry J. Grant (April 7, 1941) Lucius W. Nieman, Newspaperman from archived Nieman Foundation article from Harvard University
- ^ About Lucius William Nieman from Diederich College of Communication at Marquette University
- ^ Nieman, Lucius William 1857 — 1935 from Wisconsin Historical Society
- ^ Silk edition of the Milwaukee Journal from Milwaukee Historical Society
- ^ "Lucius W. Nieman, Milwaukee Journal Editor, Dies At 77". La Crosse Tribune. Milwaukee. AP. October 1, 1935. pp. 1, 6. Retrieved April 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Authority to Sell Paper's Stock Asked". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. March 29, 1936. pp. 2A. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
- ^ James Bryant Conant, Chemist and Harvard President from American Chemical Society
- ^ NiemanLab
- ^ Barry Sussman (August 20, 2012) Looking back at Nieman Watchdog
- ^ Lucius W. Nieman Chair of Journalism from Marquette University
- Lucius W. Nieman, Editor, Dies at 77; As Head of Milwaukee Journal Since 1882 He Made Paper Nationally Famous, New York Times, October 2, 1935