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overview
This profile deals with the Morris Communications newspaper,
magazine and radio group of the US.
It covers -
The
group is independent of Morris Multimedia Corp (MMC),
founded by a member of the same family.
introduction
Georgia-based Morris Communications is a privately held
media group with holdings that include newspaper and magazine
publishing, outdoor advertising, radio broadcasting, minor
book publishing and distribution, and online services.
Its corporate site is here.
Stauffer
Stauffer, acquired by Morris Communications in 1995 for
US$275 million, was founded by Oscar Stauffer (1886-1982).
He had briefly worked for William Allen White on the Emporia
Gazette before studying at the University of
Kansas and as a journalist on the Kansas Star.
In 1915 he acquired the weekly Peabody Gazette,
sold to fund purchase of the Ark City (later Arkansas)
Traveler in 1924 and going on to found Stauffer
Publications in 1930. He acquired Capper Publications
for US$7.3 million in 1956.
By the time of his death the company had grown to 31 newspapers
and broadcast operations in 11 US states. Expansion during
the following decade saw Stauffer Communications encompass
20 daily newspapers (including the flagship Topeka Capital-Journal),
11 radio stations, four television stations (including
WIBW-TV), three magazines (including Grit), insurance
interests,security services, broadcast rights to Kansas
City Royals baseball team, four retail computer stores
and newsroom and business systems for newspapers.
Morris disposed of Stauffer's television interests as
part of the takeover, with most stations being acquired
by Benedek Broadcasting in 1996. Stauffer's magazines,
insurance and alarm operations were also unloaded.
Capper
Capper was founded by Arthur Capper (1865-1951).
After work as a newspaper reporter he acquired the North
Topeka Mail in 1893 for US$2,500, going on to became
owner of the Topeka Daily Capital and founded
Capper's Weekly, Capper’s Farmer, and the
Household Magazine.
By 1918 his interests included the Missouri Valley
Farmer, Nebraska Farm Journal, Missouri Ruralist,
Kansas Weekly Capital and Oklahoma Farmer.
He expanded from print into ownership of two radio stations.
Capper served as Governor of Kansas from 1915 to 1919.
He was first elected as a Republican to the US Senate
in 1918, serving from 1919 to 1949. During that time he
attracted attention for a visceral isolationalism that
rivalled the better known Robert McCormick of the Chicago
Tribune, support for
miscegenation legislation and for sponsorship of the Capper
Pig Clubs for boys and Capper Poultry Clubs for girls.
He co-sponsored the co-sponsored the Capper-Volstead Act
of 1922.
studies
There has been no major study of Morris or Stauffer.
For Capper see Homer Socolofsky's indulgent Arthur
Capper, Publisher, Politician, and Philanthropist
(Lawrence: Uni of Kansas Press 1962).
Ruth Zimmer ghosted Stauffer's autobiography My Love
Affair With Life (1970)
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