34 Facts About Frank Gannett

Frank Ernest Gannett was an American publisher who founded the media corporation Gannett Company.

Frank Gannett began his career in 1906 as half owner of the Elmira Gazette.

Frank Gannett soon added newspapers in Ithaca, Rochester, Utica, and other cities in Upstate New York.

Frank Gannett disliked sensationalism, so his media played down crime and scandal, and rejected advertising for liquor.

Frank Gannett was the unsuccessful Republican candidate for governor of New York in 1936, and in 1942 was assistant chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Frank Gannett was born in Bristol, New York, on September 15,1876, to Charles and Maria Frank Gannett.

Frank Gannett was one of four children and was raised in South Bristol, New York, by parents struggling to make ends meet first as farmers and later as hotel owners.

Frank Gannett's interest in the newspaper business began as a child, when he was a newspaper delivery boy for the Democrat and Chronicle.

Frank Gannett was awarded the scholarship and began his college career at Cornell University.

Frank Gannett entered Cornell as part of the class of 1898 with $80 to his name.

At Cornell, Frank Gannett held five jobs and studied a variety of subjects.

Since schools of journalism did not exist at the time, Frank Gannett took courses in literature, history, civil and criminal law, government, Greek, and Latin.

Frank Gannett held this post for one year until he acquired a paying job as a campus reporter for The Ithaca Journal.

Frank Gannett became so busy meeting these demands that he never found time to register for graduate classes that fall.

Frank Gannett returned to Cornell University the following year determined to complete his graduate degree, but did not stay long.

Frank Gannett stayed in the Philippines for a year, learning of foreign politics and culture.

Frank Gannett became editor of the Pittsburg Index in 1905.

In 1906, Frank Gannett became half owner of the daily newspaper the Elmira Gazette.

Frank Gannett left Elmira in 1918, when he and his partner, Erwin Davenport turned their sights to Rochester, New York where a "politico-journalistic dog fight" between three evening newspapers caught their eye.

Frank Gannett moved his headquarters to Rochester, New York, to supervise the news end of his newly acquired newspaper.

Frank Gannett spent his time tracking down news while Davenport searched for advertisers.

In exchange Frank Gannett consolidated the Knickerbocker Press and Albany Evening News into a single evening newspaper called the Knickerbocker Press.

In 1928, Frank Gannett purchased the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, the paper for which he first worked as a paperboy.

Frank Gannett always sent his pronouncements to his editors with a note, "For your information and use, if desired", and editors were free to ignore them.

Frank Gannett was a founding member of the National Committee to Uphold Constitutional Government and organized opposition to President Roosevelt's court-packing scheme of 1937, as well as the bulk of Roosevelt's proposed responses to the 1937 recession.

Frank Gannett briefly ran for the 1940 Republican presidential nomination, but lost to Wendell Willkie.

Frank Gannett spent the rest of his life tirelessly working to build his corporation.

Frank Gannett expanded his company to include both TV and radio stations.

In 1948, when Frank Gannett suffered from a stroke, he slowed down.

Frank Gannett died on December 3,1957, of complications suffered from a fall the previous April.

Frank Gannett, who started off with virtually nothing, built an empire that continues on to this day.

The Frank Gannett Corporation remains a major media empire and holding company to this day.

Frank Gannett has 92 daily newspapers in circulation today in the United States, including USA Today, the nation's No 1 newspaper.

On June 29,2015, Frank Gannett changed its name to Tegna after spinning off its publishing business into a new company called Frank Gannett.