Courier, from November 1910.

The earliest extant copy of the HC L&A Newspaper Collection; other newspapers courtesy Percival L. Prattis Papers, 1916-1980, AIS.2007.01, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh.

22 WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY | SPRING 2010 By Samuel Black

centuryce ago, Pittsburgh was a lleading industrial and banking center. Th ousands of people immigratedfi nd jobs, and migrated to the city to careers, and success in life. In 1900 the population of Pittsburgh was 321,616. With increased rates of immigration, the city’s population grew by 66 percent by 1910 to a total of 533,905 residents. In 1910, African Americans were 4.8 percent of the city’s population, roughly 24,623. By 1920 those numbers would increase to 37,725 people, 24 percent of the total gain, while the overall city population increased only by 10.2 percent to 588,343.

1910 In January of 1910, The Pittsburgh Courier the Pittsburgh Courier CELEBRATING published its fi rst issue. 100 YEARS!

WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY | SPRING 2010 23 rom 1914 to 1919, World War I he talk to members of the Loendi Club, a disrupted European immigration to prestigious elite A frican American men’s Pittsburgh, while domestically the organization. Harleston engaged the support African American migration from of Cumberland Posey, Sr., William Nelson the South was in full bloom as thousands Page, William Hance, and Samuel Rosemound moved into cities from rural southern and who put together an investment team to southwestern areas. Two of these transplants, publish the Pittsburgh Courier. According Edward Nathaniel Harleston and Robert L. to Courier reporter Frank Bolden, Parthenia Vann, developed a newspaper that made a Tanner (a cousin of Henry Ossawa Tanner signifi cant impact on journalism and African whose mother was Harleston’s landlord) Robert LL. VaVann,nn ededitoritoro off American life worldwide. paid for the postage for the first issue of The Pittsburgh Courier, c. 1930. In 1910 Harleston wanted to expand the Pittsburgh Courier in January 1910. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Department. his small sheet newspaper into a major Th e initial issue listed Harleston as editor, publication. A native of Charleston, South Reverend Scott Wood as city editor, Carter as stock and fi led the charter for the Pittsburgh Carolina, Harleston advertising manager, and Marion Tanner as Courier Publishing Company on March 10, had moved to subscription manager. 1910. The company was incorporated on Pittsburgh from Soon the committee engaged another August 10, 1910. Atlantic City in Loendi Club member, attorney Robert L. Vann, a native of rural North Carolina, 1907. Harleston Vann, to draw up the news paper’s charter. nonetheless became one of the most started working as Vann was a 1906 graduate of Western infl uential African Americans of the fi rst half a messenger at the Pennsylvania University (now the University of the 20th century. He attended Virginia Pittsburgh) and in 1909, became the fi Union University before enrolling at Western H.J. Heinz Company Edward Nathaniel of rst on Pittsburgh’s Harleston as portrayed African American to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania in 1903, where North Side. He had in the frontispiece of his university’s school of law. Harleston and he became editor-in-chief of the school book, The Toilers Life. Th industrial training University of Virginia, Special Collections. the committee off ered Vann fi ve shares of newspaper, e Courant. He immediately set as a carpenter and the organization’s stock as payment. Vann up his law offi ce upon passing the state bar a business background as a partner in purchased even more shares of company in 1909. the Harleston and Wilson Undertaker & Embalmer Company in Charleston. By late 1909, Harleston had neither the capital nor the experience to expand his small newspaper alone. For assistance he turned to co-workers, friends, and even his landlady and her family. He also sought the advice of Hepburn Carter and Edward Penman, who suggested that

1920s 1930s In 1929, the Pittsburgh Robert L. Vann and the In the mid-’30s, the Courier Courier Publishing Courier were very infl uential covered the career of boxer Company plant was built for the shift of the African Joe Louis. Th e headlines at 2628 Centre Avenue American political party helped promote the hero in the Hill District. allegiance from Republican persona of Louis. to the Democratic Party.

24 WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY | SPRING 2010 The Pittsburgh Courier’s far-reaching infl uence can be seen in the capital city edition. Library of Congress

WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY | SPRING 2010 25 “Group in Offi ce” by Charles “Teenie” Harris, 1908-1998, Kodak safety fi lm. © 2009 Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh.

26 WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY | SPRING 2010 By the fall of 1910, Vann had assumed • Frank Bolden, John L. Clark, George state-of-the-art printing press able to produce co-editorship with Harleston while Posey Schuyler, J.A. Rogers, Jesse O. Th omas, 35,000 copies of the Courier per day. Th e served as president of the company. Within a Georgia Douglas Johnson, Julia Bumry- new plant and its press helped to increase the year, Harleston left the paper and city. Many Jones, Toki Johnson, Chappy Gardner, circulation of the paper from 55,000 to over Bernice Dutrieulle-Shelton, Jack assumed he left out of frustration that his 100,000 within a few years. It peaked at more Cooper, George Barbour, and A. B. Rice, paper, the Pittsburgh Courier, was no longer than 350,000 in the 1940s. columnists and reporters under his complete control. Vann then became editor, treasurer, and later publisher. For years, One of the most important hires was The News Vann did not pull a salary from the newspaper Percival L. Prattis, an experienced publisher but was paid with stocks and bonds. He went who had served as president of the social As one of the leading African American about the business of making the paper a fi rst- magazine Heebie Jeebie in Chicago before weekly papers, the Pittsburgh Courier covered class weekly and the most important African coming to Pittsburgh as associate editor. some of the leading stories important to black American paper in Pittsburgh. Th e Courier’s He became editor and later publisher of the Americans of the 20th century. One of the original offi ce was at 1212 Wylie Avenue in Courier aft er 1936 until his retirement in 1962. major stories was the Dyer anti-lynching bill Jackson’s Undertaking Company, but by 1914, the paper had moved to Vann’s law offi ces at 518 Fourth Avenue downtown. In 1914 Vann hired Ira Lewis, another Pittsburgh migrant from North Carolina, as business manager, who built a solvent advertising sales and circulation campaign. Vann saw the importance of having talented, industrious, and skilled staff and technicians. Vann and the Courier executives aft er him continued to hire talented people, including: • William “Bill” Nunn, Sr., sports writer, The 1920s marked a major turning proposed in Congress in 1922. Th e brutal, manager and editor; Earl V. Hord, point for the Courier. Vann had become inhuman acts of lynching, hanging, and lino-typist and offi ce manager politically active as a city solicitor and political other atrocities by whites were reported fi rst • Wendell Smith, W. Rollo Wilson, committeeman. He used his infl uence on the by Ida B. Wells in the 1890s and then picked Chester Washington, and Bill Nunn, paper to espouse a greater political power for up by African American weekly papers well Jr. as sports writers African Americans. Because of his talented into the 1940s. Th e Courier stayed on this • Charles “Teenie” Harris, Oceana staff, he was able to devote more time to issue for most of the 1920s through 1940s. Sockwell, Luther Johnson, and political activism and his legal career. Th e Th e Scottsboro Boys case was another major Alex Rivera as photographers paper continued to grow and in 1929, the story that impacted all of black America. Th e • Sam Milai, Jackie Ormes, Ollie Pittsburgh Courier Publishing Company lawsuit dealt with the accused rape of two Harrington, and Wilbert Holloway plant was built at 2628 Centre Avenue in the white women by nine teenage black boys as artists/cartoonists Hill District. Th e facility cost $104,000 with a on a freight train traveling from Tennessee

1940s 1950s In 1942, the Courier initiated By the mid-’40s, the Th e Courier was a leading voice in the Double V campaign Courier’s circulation the debate of whether the 1954 Brown for victory at home over reached a peak of vs. Th e Topeka Kansas Board of discrimination and victory over 350,000. Education Supreme Court decision abroad over the Axis powers. eff ected any changes in America’s segregated society.

WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY | SPRING 2010 27 Political party support from African correspondents such as Joel A. Rogers were Americans was important in the 1930s ahead of other U.S. papers in reporting the as the Courier—more than any other political developments in France and other African American weekly—and Robert European nations to the Nazi and Italian L. Vann—more than any other politico— fascist regimes. Additionally, Vann sent J.A. were responsible for the shift of African Rogers to Ethiopia to cover the Italian invasion American political party allegiance from and occupation of the country. the Republican to the Democratic Party. Aft er Vann’s deat h in 1940, th e paper Vann’s endorsement of either party held continued under the leadership of new editor great influences nationally. He spoke in Ira Lewis. In 1942, the Courier initiated the Cleveland in 1932, stating that “Negroes Double V campaign for victory at home over Barack Obama memeetsets wiwithth Dan Rooney have changed their political philosophy…. I discrimination and victory abroad over the while visiting Pittsburgh during his powers. Th 2008 presidential campaign. see millions of Negroes turning the pictures Axis is campaign brought much Photo by Gail Manker. of Abraham Lincoln to the wall. Th is year I criticism from the federal government and the see Negroes voting a Democratic ticket.” As a paper found itself on the FBI’s sedition list. to Alabama in 1931. Th e Courier vigorously result, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected Federal investigators visited Centre Avenue to reported on this trial and its various appeals president of the United States. question staff and executives of the paper, but for almost a decade. Th e paper sent a number In 1936, Robert L. Vann began to suggestgeg sts to nono avail.avavaiil.l Th e CourierCoC uru ier continuedconntit nuued itsitst DoubleDouublb e of reporters, including NA ACP head Walter to the Roosevelt administration the needeed V campaign.cacampaiignn. White, to Alabama to report on the case. In to establish a black combat unit of the U.S.U.U S.S the mid-1930s, the Courier began to follow Army commanded by an African American.caan.n the career of boxer Joe Louis. Sportswriters Roosevelt was slow to respond to Vann’s ideas,eas,, Chester Washington and Bill Nunn, Sr., but he did appoint Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., ,as as reported from Louis’ training camps and the fi rst African American general in the U.S.U.U S.S hosted him on his many visits to the Courier Army. Vann knew that the U.S. might bebe offices in Pittsburgh. Courier headlines of engaged in another world war, having visitedited the great champ promoted the hero persona Europe during the Nazi rise; he was even nat at of Louis and his exploits as the heavyweight the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936, sitting justjuusts champion of the world. rows away from Adolf Hitler. His Europeaneae n

1960s 2000s In 1966, the Courier was In 2008, the New Pittsburghgh sold to the Sengstacke Courier had complete family of Chicago. Today coverage of the historic it is published as the New campaign and election Pittsburgh Courier of Barack Obama.

28 WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY | SPRING 2010 Nationally circulated African American and issues raised by the Vietnam War. Its weekly papers regularly reported on the civil editors commented weekly about the civil rights movement. The Pittsburgh Courier rights movement in addition to battle news. had correspondents that covered events and Th e Courier posted photographs and bios of participated in investigative reporting. Alex U.S. soldiers and rep orted on t he deaths of COME CELEBRATE THE Rivera, P.L. Prattis, Evelyn Cunningham, and local men. 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF others covered the southern civil rights In 1966 the Pittsburgh Courier was sold THE PITTSBURGH COURIER campaign. Edna Chapelle (McKenzie) to the Sengstacke family of Chicago, owners AT THE HISTORY CENTER investigated Western Pennsylvania and publishers of the Chicago Defender, communities and businesses that had the Courier’s longtime newspaper rival. The Senator John Heinz History Center discriminatory practices and policies. The Today the paper is published as the will open America’s Best Weekly: Courier was a leading voice in the debate of New Pittsburgh Courier . In recent times, A Century of the Pittsburgh Courier whether the 1954 Brown vs. The Topeka the paper covered the campaign of Barack in May, 2010, in celebration of the Kansas Board of Education Supreme Court Obama, whose historic election showed paper’s 100th anniversary. Opening in decision eff ected any changes in America’s that the Pittsburgh Courier continues the Community Gallery on the History segregated society. Th e paper continued to to cover the major stories that affect report on civil rights by carrying the debate Americans lives. Center’s fourth floor, America’s Best Weekly will explore the history of the Courier as a major media company that impacted the lives of Americans Courier newsboys. and the world through its journalistic Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University. agenda to report the news and give opinions on black life and culture. Accompanying America’s Best Weekly will be a display of 10 quilts made by Tina Williams Brewer that chronicles each decade of the Courier's history from 1910 to 2010 using images from the pages of the newspaper. With the support of Rod Doss, publisher of the New Pittsburgh Courier, America’s Best Weekly will give History Center visitors an opportunity to learn about the founding and business of one of the major newspapers of our time.

20102 In April, the New Pittsburgh Courier will celebrate its 100th anniversary!

WESTERNWWEEESSTT E R PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY | SPRING 2010 29