Howard Publications

Origins

Robert "Bob" Staples Howard was born on October 23, 1924. His parents operated a small weekly newspaper in Wheaton, Minnesota called the Wheaton Gazette. Bob Howard left the University of Minnesota to serve as a Second lieutenant in the United States Army Air Corps flying bombers in the South Pacific during World War II. He earned a Purple Heart after being shot down in the Battle of Leyte. After the war, he returned to University and then helped his widowed mother operate the Gazette.^[2]

Howard then worked for a number of papers across the country until he purchased the Dalles Chronicle in December 1948.^[3] Scripps League Newspapers became a co-owner with Howard in June 1949, with the joint-venture called Western Publishing Company.^[4] In October 1949, Western Publishing purchased a stake in the Tribune Journal Company, which published the Idaho State Journal. Howard then moved from The Dalles, Oregon to Pocatello, Idaho to help manage the business.^[5][6] After moving, Howard helped manage the Daily Inter Lake in Montana, which Scripps owned.^[2]

In October 1955, Howard purchased the Chester Times,^[7] which was later renamed to the Delaware County Daily Times.^[8] This acquisition marked the start of the Howard Publications newspaper chain.^[2] At this time Howard left Scripps and disposed of any interests he had with the company.^[7]

Expansion

In August 1958, Howard became co-owner of The Glasgow Courier.^[9] He sold the Daily Times in June 1961.^[10] He then purchased the Casper Tribune-Herald and Casper Morning Star in October 1961,^[8] The Times of Northwest Indiana in May 1962,^[11] sold The Glasgow Courier in March 1964, and Logansport Pharos-Tribune in January 1966.^[12] Howard became co-owner of Coastline Publishers in September 1966. The company published The Coastline Dispatch, San Clemente Sun-Post and Dana Point Lamplighter.^[13] The subsidiary purchased the San Clemente Independent in January 1967.^[14]

Howard Publications acquired the Oceanside Blade-Tribune in March 1967,^[15] Twin Falls Times-News in April 1968,^[16] Carlisle Sentinel in May 1968,^[17] The Post-Star and The Glens Falls Times in December 1970.^[18] Howard became of co-owner of the Sioux City Journal with Hagadone Corporation, an affiliate of Scripps League Newspapers, in December 1971.^[19] The company then acquired the Corning Leader in May 1972,^[20] Times-Courier in December 1972,^[21] Journal Gazette in March 1973,^[22][23] The Auburn Citizen in July 1975,^[24] Freeport Journal Standard in September 1976,^[25] San Dieguito Citizen in May 1979,^[26] The Ledger Independent in October 1980,^[27] The Times and Democrat in May 1981,^[28] Waterloo Courier and Cedar Falls Record in January 1983.^[29] The Oceanside Blade-Tribune, San Dieguito Citizen and two other papers were merged to form the North County Blade-Citizen in June 1989.^[30] Howard purchased The Longview Daily News in June 1999.^[31]

Sells-off

In March 1993, Howard sold the San Clemente Sun-Post to Freedom Communications.^[32] In July 1995, Howard agreed to acquire the Times Advocate Company, a subsidiary of Tribune Company. The sale included the Escondido Times-Advocate, The Californian of Temecula, and The Enterprise of Fallbrook. Howard operated a subsidiary called South Coast Newspapers, which published the North County Blade-Citizen of Oceanside.^[33] The Times-Advocate and Blade-Citizen were merged to form the North County Times.^[34]

In August 1995, Howard traded the Logansport Pharos-Tribune to Thomson Corporation in exchange for The Valparaiso Vidette-Messenger, later renamed to the Vidette Times.^[35] On February 12, 2002, Lee Enterprises announced that it would acquire Howard Publications for $694 million, with a closing later that year.^[36] At the time of the sale, Howard employed 2,400 people, and its papers had a total daily circulation of 479,000.^[36] Company founder R.S. Howard died in February 2022.^[2]