James W. Faulkner

Infobox journalist
name = James W. Faulkner


caption = James W. "Jim" Faulkner, circa 1893, first president of the Ohio Legislative Correspondents Association.
birthname = James W. Faulkner
birth_date = birth date|1863|4|1
birth_place = Cincinnati, OH, U.S.
death_date = death date and age|1923|5|05|1863|4|1
death_place = New York, NY
education = St. Xavier High School (Cincinnati), Doctor of Letters Miami University, September 1919
occupation = Newspaperman, Journalist, Political Writer
alias = Jim Faulkner; "Jeems"
title = "Dean of Ohio Political Writers"
family =
spouse = None
domesticpartner =
children = None
relatives =
ethnic = Irish-American
religion = Roman Catholic
salary =
networth =
credits = "Faulkner Letter"
agent =
URL =

James W. Faulkner (April 1863 – May 5 1923) was an American political journalist from Cincinnati, Ohio, whose career spanned local politics in Cincinnati; state politics in Ohio; and whose writings covered the Presidential campaigns of both parties from 1892 through 1920. Faulkner started his newspaper career with the "Cincinnati Post" in 1877 and joined the "Cincinnati Enquirer" in 1887. In 1890 at the age of 27 he was assigned to Columbus, Ohio to report on the General Assembly and state politics. He observed many lobbyists had invaded the chambers of the Legislature posing as newspapermen, causing special interest group influence on the floor of the House and Senate. Faulkner formed the Ohio Legislative Correspondents Association, requiring newsmen to submit credentials before gaining floor privileges. He served as its president for 24 years.

Faulkner covered every political convention for both parties from 1892 to his death in 1923. He was considered a friend of many politicians of state and national stature, both Republicans and Democrats. He was offered commissions by elected officials of both parties for state and national offices but politely declined to continue in the newspaper business.

Besides writing political editorial columns Faulkner also wrote articles for various publications during his career. Faulkner died while attending a newspaper editors meeting and Associated Press convention in New York City on May 5, 1923.

Early life

James “Jim” Faulkner was born to Irish immigrants John Faulkner and Ellen O'Connell (b. County Cork, Ireland) in 1863 in Cincinnati. John Faulkner operated the Gibson House on the south side of Fountain Square where he was born ["Cincinnati Enquirer", Sunday May 4, 1958] . He was a philosopher sorts at an early age. While chopping wood with an axe at the age of thirteen, he accidentally severed a finger. The wound was attended to but Faulkner lost the finger. Later in life he told a reporter after he got over the scare he thought "Well I am minus a finger, but nobody is going to make me practice piano for three hours a day!" ["Syracuse Herald, August 13, 1923, p 4] . Faulkner attended parochial elementary schhols and graduated from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati [ "The Van Wert Daily Bulletin", Wednesday January 25, 1911, page 1, column 6.] . Faulkner worked as a telephone operator at the Ninth Street Police Station ["Cincinnati Enquirer", Sunday March 20,1966] . He got his first newspaper job at the "Cincinnati Times-Star" in 1884 although some sources claim he got his start in the newspaper business in 1887 ["The Mansfield News", Saturday, May 5, 1923, page 1 column 3] . He tutored David Graham Phillips at The Cincinnati Enquirer from about 1888 to 1890 ["The Van Wert Daily Bulletin", Wednesday January 25, 1911, page 1, column 6.] .

Journalism career

In 1887 he joined the "Cincinnati Enquirer" and in 1890 went to Columbus as a reported for the Ohio Legislature and Statehouse ["Cincinnati Enquirer", Sunday March 20,1966] .

Faulkner observed the Legislature and Statehouse Staff were “cowed by lobbyists for special interest groups…buttonholing lawmakers in session…and people who posed as newspapermen acting as lobbyists… ["Cincinnati Enquirer", Sunday March 20,1966] . He formed the Ohio Legislative Correspondents’ Association, an organization which required newsmen were to pass on their credentials before they could gain access to the floor of the House and Senate. Faulkner served as the organization’s first president and held the post for 24 years.

Faulkner wrote a weekly piece called the "Faulkner Letter" which ran on Sundays in the "Cincinnati Enquirer".

He attended every national political convention of the major parties from 1892 on, and since 1896 had accompanied presidential candidates on their campaign speaking tours ["The (Elyria) Chronicle Telegram", Saturday May 5, 1923, p 1, columns 4 & 5.] . Faulkner was on terms of personal friendship with every U.S. President since Grover Cleveland, and was a special friend of Warren G. Harding ["The (Michigan) News-Palladium", Saturday May 5, 1923, p 4, column 5.] . He was asked by a number of Ohio Governors and one U.S. President to accept commissions in their administrations, but politely declined each time ["The Hamilton Evening Journal", Sunday November 1, 1930, pp 1 and 11, columns 3 and 1 respectively.] . His reason was he wanted to stay in newspaper work.

He was named the editor-in-chief of "The Toledo Commercial" on August 23, 1899 ["The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette", Thursday, August 24, 1899, page 4, column 5.] .

Faulkner travelled with William Jennings Bryan, in 1914, while he was Secretary of State [The Coshocton Tribune, Thursday, October 15, 1964, p 15 column 7.] .

During World War I, was appointed a member of the Ohio Council of National Defense by Governor James M. Cox and was a member of several committees and commissions within the council ["The Washington Post", Sunday, May 6, 1923, page 3, column 7.] .

Miami University at Oxford conferred Honorary Doctor of Letters on him September 1919 ["The Mansfield News", Saturday, May 5, 1923, page 1 column 3.] .

He was known as the "Dean of the correspondents" ["Representative Men of Ohio 1896-97"] .

Faulkner was a member of Gov. Cox’s presidential train party in 1920 ["The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette", Thursday, October 14, 1920, page 6, column 1.] .

He was also a director of Citizen’s Trust and Savings Bank in Columbus, Ohio ["The (Elyria) Chronicle Telegram", Saturday May 5, 1923, p 1, columns 4 & 5.] .

Personal life

Besides his professional journalistic memberships Faulkner was also a member of the Cuvier Press Club, the B.P.O.E Lodge No. 5, and served as board of commissioners for the Cincinnati Police from 1898 to 1902 ["Centennial History of Cincinnati and Representative Citizens", Charles Theodore, p 972 ] . In politics Faulkner was a member of the Democratic Party [ Representative Men of Ohio, 1896-97; published by Mercer and Vallandigham, Columbus, Ohio, ] . Faulkner neither had children nor married.

Death and funeral

While attending the American Newspaper Publisher's Association convention, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York ["Charleston Daily Mail", Saturday May 5, 1923, page 1, column 4] , Faulkner became ill, complaining of indigestion. He stayed at the hotel and was attended by a physician, but died during night on May 5, 1923 of a heart attack. Upon his death many notable statements were issued by President Warren G. Harding, Governor Alvin V. Donahey, and former governors James A. Cox and Judson Harmon ["The Van Wert Daily Bulletin", Wednesday January 25, 1911, page 1, column 6.] .

Faulkner’s body was escorted from New York to Cincinnati by his two sisters, Miss Mary Faulkner and Miss Martha Faulkner. The body was taken to the home of Thomas J. Mulvihill, his brother-in-law and an undertaker, where the viewing would take place. The Requiem Mass was celebrated at St. Xavier Church in Cincinnati and burial was at Calvary Cemetery ["The Van Wert Daily Bulletin", Wednesday January 25, 1911, page 1, column 6.] . The funeral was attended by former Ohio governors, many newspaper officials, Cincinnati City leaders. Pallbearers for his funeral were: William F. Wiley, Herbert R. Mengert, Jasper C. Muma, Robert F. Wolf, Judson Harmon, James. M. Cox, William A. Stewart, Bayard L. Kilgour, William A. Julian, Russell A. Wilson, W. F. Burdell and Nicholas Longworth ["The Hamilton Evening Journal", Monday May 7, 1923, page 2, column 4.] . On orders from Washington, DC the Stars and Stripes at the local Federal building in Cincinnati was displayed at half-mast during Faulkner’s funeral – the first time in the history of Cincinnati that the flag had been lowered as a mark of respect for a private citizen ["The Portsmouth Daily Times", Wednesday, May 9, 1923, page 1, column 3.] .

James W. Faulkner Scholarship

As Faulkner had helped many young newspaper reporters early in their careers, following his death, many newspapermen desired to form a memorial fund to provide scholarships to journalism students. A Memorial Fund to aid Journalism students was organized by friends who were in the Ohio Legislative Correspondents Association ["The Hamilton Daily News", Saturday July 28, 1923, page 16, column 6.] . Former Ohio Governor and newspaper owner James M. Cox served as its first chairman. Continuing today, two scholarships are awarded annually to Ohio journalism students.

Other honors

* James W. Faulkner was inducted into the Ohio Journalism Hall of Fame October 31, 1930 ["The Portsmouth Times", Friday, October 17, 1930, page 19, column 1.] ["Hamilton Evening Journal", Friday July 25, 1930, page 2, column 1.] .
* The James W. Faulkner Enterprise Award, an award for the best enterprise story which exhibited special effort by the reporter was named for him in 1967 ["The Coshocton Tribune", Thursday, October 12, 1967, page 10, column 3.] .

References

External links

* Ohio Legislative Correspondents Association [http://www.olca.info/]