Judson Welliver
| Judson C. Welliver | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | August 13, 1870 Aledo, Illinois |
| Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Newspaper journalist, presidential speechwriter |
| Known for | Widely regarded as the first presidential speechwriter |
Judson Churchill Welliver (August 13, 1870 – April 14, 1943)[note 1] was a "literary clerk" to President Warren G. Harding and is usually credited as being the first presidential speechwriter.[1][note 2]
Biography
Judson Welliver was born on August 13, 1870 in Aledo, Illinois.[2][3]
He married his wife, Jane Douglas Hutchins, on July 3, 1899. They had four children—Edward M., Allan J., Sarah H., and Jane Douglas.[4]
By 1909, Welliver had earned a reputation as "one of the most able journalists in the country".[3] He worked variously at the Fort Dodge Messenger, the Sioux City Journal, and the Des Moines Leader before becoming the editor of the Sioux City Tribune, a position which he held until 1904.[3] That year, Wellington joined the staff of the Washington Times, where he was noted for his support of the Progressives.[3] He wrote articles for McClure's Magazine and Hampton's during the muckraker period.[5]
He was sent to Europe by President Roosevelt in 1907 to report on the waterway and railroad systems of Europe and Great Britain.[4] (The report was published in 1908.) He managed London correspondence and European news for the New York Sun from 1917 until 1918.[4]
Welliver handled publicity for Harding during his 1920 presidential campaign, and began working as a "literary clerk" to President Harding on March 4, 1921.[1][4] Welliver left his speech-writing position at the White House on November 1, 1925 (under the presidency of Calvin Coolidge), accepting a position at the American Petroleum Institute for a better salary.[4][6] After he resigned from the American Petroleum job in 1927, Welliver went on to become editor of the Washington Herald in 1928.[4] He was also assistant to the president of the Pullman Company from 1928 to 1931.[4]
Welliver died of cancer in Philadelphia on April 14, 1943,[4] at the age of 72.[7]
The Judson Welliver Society, a bipartisan social club composed of former presidential speechwriters, is named in his honor.[2]
Notes and references
- Notes
- ↑ Welliver's middle initial is sometimes erroneously given as "T".
- ↑ It is argued by some that Alexander Hamilton was the first presidential speechwriter since he wrote some material for George Washington, but Hamilton was a cabinet member rather than a person hired expressly for the job of writing speeches.[2]
- References
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