1. George Edward Creel was an American investigative journalist and writer, a politician and government official.
25 Facts About George Creel
1. 2.
George Creel's father came to Missouri from Parkersburg, Virginia, and bought land in Osage County, Missouri; he was college educated, and served in Virginia legislature.
3.
In 1891, the then fifteen-year-old George Creel ran away from home for a year, supporting himself by working at a succession of county fairs across Missouri and at odd jobs when available.
4.
George Creel was hired for $4 a week, starting as a reporter, but eventually moved up to write feature articles.
5.
George Creel wrote a book review column and covered social happenings.
6.
George Creel was eventually fired because he felt it was wrong to discuss a wealthy man's daughter eloping with her coachman in the paper and apparently his editors didn't agree.
7.
George Creel found an opportunity to work as a free-lance joke writer for William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer's comic supplements.
8.
At age 23, George Creel became the sole owner, editor, and publisher of The Independent.
9.
George Creel was a strong supporter of the Democratic Party and aggressively fought the policies and practices of Thomas Pendergast.
10.
George Creel was not afraid to put politics or party affiliation aside for the greater public good, however.
11.
George Creel backed Democrat Joseph W Folk in a successful run for Missouri Governor in 1904.
12.
In late 1909, George Creel left Kansas City and the Independent behind for a new political battlefield in Colorado.
13.
George Creel gained national publicity by calling for the lynching of 11 senators who opposed the public ownership of Denver's water company.
14.
George Creel resigned promptly after and had a brief stint working at William Randolph Hearst's Cosmopolitan.
15.
George Creel moved on to write editorials for The Rocky Mountain News where he was a strong supporter of Woodrow Wilson.
16.
In June 1912, Creel was appointed Police Commissioner of Denver by the recently elected reform mayor, Henry J Arnold.
17.
George Creel immediately used the office to launch several ambitious reform campaigns, such as ordering police officers to give up their clubs and nightsticks, as well as a campaign to destroy the red-light district in downtown Denver, while providing a tax-funded rehabilitation farm for women leaving prostitution.
18.
In March 1917, George Creel discovered that many of the military leaders wanted strong censorship of any criticism of the war.
19.
George Creel sent President Wilson a brief in which he argued for "expression, not suppression" of the press.
20.
George Creel was named the head of the committee, and he created 37 distinct divisions, most notably the Division of Pictorial Publicity, the Four Minute Men Division, the News Division, and the Censorship Board.
21.
The guidelines set forth by George Creel directed the volunteers to fill their speeches with facts and appeals to emotions to bolster public support for the war efforts.
22.
George Creel was an active member of the Democratic Party and ran against the left-wing novelist Upton Sinclair in the 1934 California gubernatorial election.
23.
George Creel was married to actress Blanche Bates from 1912 until her death in 1941.
24.
George Creel was buried in his family plot at Mount Washington Cemetery in Independence, Missouri.
25.
George Creel was the author of an extensive collection of writings.