George Matthew Adams

George Matthew Adams
Born (1878-08-23)August 23, 1878
Saline, Michigan, U.S.
Died October 29, 1962(1962-10-29) (aged 84)
Alma mater Ottawa University
Occupation Writer, Businessman
Known for George Matthew Adams Newspaper Service

George Matthew Adams (August 23, 1878 - October 29, 1962) was an American newspaper columnist and founder of the George Matthew Adams Newspaper Service, which syndicated comic strips and columns to newspapers for five decades. His own writings were circulated widely to The Gettysburg Times and many other newspapers.

Biography

Early life and education

Born in Saline, Michigan, George Matthew Adams graduated from Ottawa University in Kansas. Employed by a Chicago advertising agency, he started operating the elevator and worked his way up to become a copywriter.

George Matthew Adams Newspaper Service

George Matthew Adams Service
Formerly
 Adams Newspaper Service
Adams Syndication Service
Industry Print syndication
Fate remaining features sold to The Washington Star Syndicate
Founded 1907 (1907)
Founder George Matthew Adams
Defunct c. 1966 (1966)
Headquarters 8 West 40th Street, Manhattan, New York City, N.Y., U.S.
Key people
 Giordano Bruno Pascale
Products Comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial cartoons
Owner George Matthew Adams

In 1907, Adams borrowed money to rent and equip an office and launched the Adams Newspaper Service.[1] Adams' syndicate was located at 8 West 40th Street in Manhattan. When Adams and Emporia Gazette publisher William Allen White met in Chicago in 1908, Adams hired White to write about political issues. Adams had copies of Walt Mason's light verse which he had clipped from the Gazette, and said, "I like this stuff. I'd like to syndicate it to other papers. Suppose I could?" White responded, "Sure. Give Uncle Walt about $18 a week, and he'll be tickled pink to do it for you." Adams did, and as Mason's Rippling Rhythms column increased in popularity, he eventually increased Mason's salary to $15,000 a year.[2]

The name of the Adams Newspaper Service was changed in 1916 to the George Matthew Adams Service. Writers syndicated by Adams included Thornton Burgess, Edgar Guest and Robert Ripley. The syndicate also distributed single-panel cartoons, including some accompanied by jokes, backwoods homilies, light verse or Adams-style inspiration. Adams syndicated comic strips, including Billy DeBeck's Finn an' Haddie, Edwina Dumm's Cap Stubbs and Tippie, Ed Wheelan's Minute Movies, and Robert Baldwin's Freddy. In addition to sports cartoons by Lank Leonard, Adams syndicated Johnny Gruelle's illustrated Raggedy Ann panels from 1934 to 1938. The uplifting Raggedy Ann verses emphasized forthrightness, honesty, kindness and thrift. He also syndicated Rebecca McCann's philosophical The Cheerful Cherub.

Lloyd Jacquet was the syndicate's art director from c. 1936 to 1937,[3] shortly before leaving to found Funnies, Inc. The syndicate's long-time manager was Giordano Bruno Pascale (manager).[4]

Adams's syndicate peaked in the 1920s and 1930s, eventually fading as its founder aged. Adams died in 1962; the remaining features were sold to The Washington Star Syndicate circa 1965–1966.

Writing

In the 1910s, Adams was selling Dr. Frank Crane's (1861-1928) popular Four Minute Essays. When he lost Crane to a competitor, he decided to write short inspirational essays himself while he traveled from city to city selling to newspapers. By the 1950s, Crane was all but forgotten, but Adams' short inspirational columns were in about 100 newspapers and also collected in a series of books.[5][6]

Books

  • You Can: A Collection of Brief Talks on the Most Important Topic in the World — Your Success (Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1913)
  • Take It: Suggestions as to Your Right to the World and the Great Things That are in It (Frederick A. Stokes, 1917)
  • Up: A Little Book of Talks on how to Wake Up, Get Up, Think Up, Climb Up, Smile Up, Cheer Up, Work Up, Look Up, Help Up, Grow Up! (Reilly and Lee Company, 1920)
  • Just Among Friends (William Morrow and Company, 1928)
  • Better Than Gold (Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1949)
  • The Great Little Things (Duel, Sloan and Pearce, 1953)

Adams Service strips and panels

Launched in the 1910s:

Launched in the 1920s:

  • Billy's Uncle by Ben Batsford (Oct. 9, 1922 - August 2, 1924)
  • In Our Office by Wood Cowan (early 1920s)
  • Lank Leonard sports cartoons (c. 1927–c. 1936)
  • Minute Movies by Ed Wheelan (1921–1935)[10]
  • Pecos Bill by Tex O'Reilly and Jack Warren (1929–1938)
  • Reg'lar Fellers by Tack Knight (1924-1929)[11]

Launched in the 1930s:

Launched in the 1940s:

  • Miki by Tom Morrison (c. 1945-c. 1950)[16]

Launched in the 1950s:

Launched in the 1960s:

  • The Birds by Joe Appalucci (1963)
  • Buenos Dias by Ed Nofziger (1963-1965; continued by The Washington Star Syndicate 1965-1967)[23]
  • Cuppy the Newsboy by Joe Appalucci (October 8, 1962 – March 7, 1964)

Adams Service columnists

  • George Matthew Adams's Today’s Talk (c. 1913–c. 1955)[5]
  • Thornton Burgess's Bedtime Stories (1912–1960)
  • Dr. Frank Crane's Four Minute Essays (c. 1913)
  • Edgar Guest (c. 1917–?)
  • Walt Mason ("Uncle Walt")'s Rippling Rhythms (1908–?)
  • Robert Ripley

References

  1. ↑ "George Matthew Adams Started Syndicate on a Shoestring," Editor and Publisher (Julv 21, 1934).
  2. ↑ Driscoll, C.B. "New York Day by Day", The Palm Beach Post, July 16, 1939.
  3. ↑ Lloyd Jacquet entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Who's Who Among Leading U.S. Syndicate Executives," Editor & Publisher (September 7, 1946). Archived at "News of Yore 1946: Syndicate Executives Profiled," Stripper's Guide (July 21, 2010).
  5. 1 2 Tripp, Frank. "About the columners", The Day, May 17, 1954.
  6. ↑ WorldCat
  7. 1 2 Edwina entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.
  8. ↑ Wood Cowan entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.
  9. ↑ Gage entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Nov. 23, 2017.
  10. ↑ Ed Whelan entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.
  11. ↑ Tack Knight entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.
  12. ↑ Robert Weinstein entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.
  13. ↑ Adolphe Barreaux entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.
  14. ↑ Jack Warren entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.
  15. ↑ Al Carreno entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.
  16. ↑ Tom Morrison entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.
  17. ↑ Robert Baldwin entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.
  18. 1 2 "Biography". Fran Matera official site. Archived from the original on February 4, 2010. Additional on February 4, 2010.
  19. ↑ Fran Matera entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.
  20. ↑ Marvin Stein entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.
  21. ↑ David Wood entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.
  22. ↑ Wally Wood entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.
  23. ↑ Ed Nofziger entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.
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