Frank D. Schroth(October 18, 1884 – June 10, 1974) was an American newspaper publisher who owned and operated theBrooklyn Eaglefrom 1938 until its demise in 1955 after a strike byThe Newspaper Guild.
Life and career
editSchroth was born on October 18, 1884, inTrenton, New Jersey,and attended the local public schools. He started in the newspaper industry atThe True American.He was hired as general news and political reporter the next year byThe Trenton Times,working at the paper until 1914. From 1914 to 1925, he was secretary of the New Jersey State Board of Taxes and Assessments. He acquiredThe Trenton State Gazettein 1925 and served as its associate publisher and general manager until 1933.[1]
Schroth purchased theEagleon August 1, 1938, fromM. Preston Goodfellow,who had purchased the paper himself in 1932. A statement published in the paper to announce the sale indicated Schroth's faith in the viability of the newspaper and in Brooklyn as a community.[2]In addition to dropping the word "Daily" from the paper's title, Schroth increased the paper's profile and readership with more active local coverage. The Newspaper Guild went on strike in 1955, with the paper publishing what turned out to be its last issue on January 29.[1]On March 17, Schroth announced that he had made the "irrevocable" decision to shut down the publication, as the paper had been "destroyed" by the Newspaper Guild and its 47-day-long strike. Efforts by theFederal Mediation and Conciliation Serviceto mediate the dispute had been unsuccessful. Strikers had been seeking increases of $3.40 per week in the first year of the deal and an additional $2.40 in the second year, while Schroth had offered increases of $1.40 and $1.00 per week for each of the two years.
At theEagle,Schroth was an active part of the Brooklyn community, organizing campaign drives and serving as chairman of the local chapter of theAmerican Red Crossand as a trustee ofPratt Institute.He received the Silver Medal of Merit for his participation as chairman of the War Finance public relations committee and made a 1945 tour of thePacific Theater of Operationsto meet with top military staff. He was one of the originators behind the creation of the Brooklyn war memorial erected inCadman Plaza.[1]
Personal life
editHe moved back to Trenton after theEagleclosed and died on June 10, 1974, at a nursing home inNew Milford, Connecticut.He was survived by three sons, 26 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.[1]Schroth's daughter, Sister Marie Eustelle of the Order of Sisters of Charity, died on October 19, 1940, inElizabeth, New Jerseyafter a long illness.[3]
His son,Thomas N. Schroth,was managing editor of theBrooklyn Eaglein the last three years of its existence, and went on to serve as editor ofCongress Quarterlyand to establish theNational Journal.[4]
A nephew, the Rev. Raymond A. Schroth SJ, was a Jesuit priest and the dean ofThe College of the Holy Cross,Worcester, Massachusetts, in the early 1980s.
External links
editReferences
edit- ^abcdStaff."Frank D. Schroth, 89, Publisher Of The Brooklyn Eagle, Is Dead; Acclaimed for His Service",The New York Times,June 11, 1974. Accessed August 6, 2009.
- ^Staff."BROOKLYN EAGLE SOLD TO SCHROTH; Former Scranton Publisher Obtains Stock Control From M. Preston Goodfellow PURCHASE PRICE NOT GIVEN New Owner Says He Has Made No Decision on Staff Changes--Pledges Objective News Guild Contract to Continue Eagle Founded in 1841",The New York Times,August 2, 1938. Accessed August 7, 2009.
- ^Staff."Sister Marie Eustelle",The New York Times,October 20, 1940. Accessed August 7, 2009.
- ^Weber, Bruce."Thomas N. Schroth, Influential Washington Editor, Is Dead at 88",The New York Times,August 4, 2009. Accessed August 5, 2009.