St. Louis Post-Dispatch
On the 12th of December 1878, the first edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch appeared with a print run of just 4,020 copies. Joseph Pulitzer had purchased the bankrupt St. Louis Dispatch at a public auction earlier that year and merged it with the St. Louis Evening Post to create the new publication. He appointed John A. Cockerill as managing editor to oversee operations from the start. The paper quickly became known for its aggressive stance against corruption and privileged classes under Cockerill's direction. In 1882, James Overton Broadhead ran for Congress while the newspaper questioned his role in a lawsuit involving a gaslight company. When Broadhead failed to respond to these charges, his law partner Alonzo W. Slayback publicly defended him by calling the Post-Dispatch a "blackmailing sheet." On the 13th of October 1882, Cockerill re-published an offensive card from a prior year, which enraged Slayback so much that he barged into the editor's office demanding an apology. Cockerill shot and killed Slayback during the confrontation, claiming self-defense after allegedly finding a pistol on Slayback's body. Although a grand jury refused to indict Cockerill for murder, the economic consequences for the paper were severe enough that Pulitzer sent Cockerill to New York in May 1883 to manage the New York World instead.
On the 10th of April 1907, Joseph Pulitzer wrote what would become known as the paper's platform statement. He declared that the newspaper would always fight for progress and reform without tolerating injustice or corruption. The document stated the publication would never belong to any political party but would oppose privileged classes and public plunderers at every turn. Pulitzer insisted the paper must remain drastically independent and never be afraid to attack wrong whether it came from predatory plutocracy or predatory poverty. This declaration established editorial independence that guided generations of editors following his retirement. Under this framework, the Post-Dispatch became one of the first daily newspapers to print a comics section in color on the back page of its features section called "Everyday Magazine." The liberal editorial page featured columnists like Marquis Childs who shaped public discourse through their writing. Political cartoons by Daniel R. Fitzpatrick won the 1955 Pulitzer Prize while Bill Mauldin received the same honor in 1959 for his own work. These visual commentaries helped define the paper's identity as an institution committed to fighting corruption regardless of which side held power.
On the 22nd of May 1946, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch became the first newspaper in the world to publish secret protocols for the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. During Harry S. Truman's presidency, the paper served as one of his most outspoken critics by associating him with the Pendergast machine in Kansas City. In 1950, reporter Dent McSkimming traveled to Brazil at his own expense to cover the FIFA World Cup as the only U.S. correspondent covering the event there. The newspaper maintained the second-largest news bureau in Washington D.C. among Midwestern papers during certain periods. On the 13th of January 2004, a 125th anniversary edition highlighted coverage of Charles Lindbergh's Atlantic flight despite receiving no financial support from the paper itself. That same year featured a Pulitzer Prize-winning campaign that cleaned up smoke pollution in St. Louis when the city had the filthiest air in the United States during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Sports coverage included nine St. Louis Cardinals championships plus an NBA title won by the St. Louis Hawks in 1958 and the 2000 Super Bowl victory of the Rams. Cultural icons like Kate Chopin, Tennessee Williams, Chuck Berry, and Miles Davis received regular features throughout the publication's history.
On the 31st of January 2005, Michael Pulitzer announced the sale of Pulitzer Inc. including all assets to Lee Enterprises of Davenport Iowa for $1.46 billion. He stated that no family members would serve on the board of the merged company after the transaction completed. By the 12th of March 2007, the paper eliminated 31 jobs primarily affecting circulation classified phone rooms production purchasing telephone operations and marketing departments. Multiple rounds of layoffs followed this initial reduction as circulation numbers continued declining through the decade. On the 30th of September 2011, daily circulation dropped to 178,801 copies while Sunday editions fell to 299,227 from earlier peaks exceeding 400,000 readers. In September 2024, six newsroom employees were laid off before the paper announced plans to shutter its St. Louis press facility later that month. The facility closure meant outsourcing printing to a Columbia Missouri printer where 72 total employees would lose their positions. By November 2025, the Post-Dispatch moved to a six-day printing schedule eliminating its printed Monday edition entirely. These changes reflected broader industry trends affecting regional newspapers across the United States during the early twenty-first century.
On the 11th of February 1901, the newspaper introduced a front-page feature called the "Weatherbird" which became the oldest continuously published cartoon in the United States. Harry B. Martin created the original bird drawing until 1903 when Oscar Chopin took over the role through 1910. S. Carlisle Martin drew it from 1910 to 1932 followed by Amadee Wohlschlaeger who worked on the feature until 1981. Albert Schweitzer became the first artist to draw the Weatherbird in color between 1981 and 1986 while Dan Martin has continued the tradition since 1986. Notable journalists included Jerry Berger who wrote society columns from 1980 to 2004 and Bob Broeg covering baseball as a Hall of Fame writer from 1946 to 2004. Richard Dudman served as national affairs correspondent and Washington bureau chief from 1950 to 1981 while Joe Mahr won a Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism between 2006 and 2009. Marguerite Martyn worked as both reporter and artist from 1880 until her death in 1948 contributing significantly to the paper's visual identity. The Weatherbird remains an enduring symbol of St. Louis culture appearing daily alongside weather forecasts for more than a century.
Common questions
When did the St. Louis Post-Dispatch first edition appear and how many copies were printed?
The first edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch appeared on the 12th of December 1878 with a print run of just 4,020 copies.
Who killed Alonzo W. Slayback during the confrontation at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch office in 1882?
John A. Cockerill shot and killed Alonzo W. Slayback on the 13th of October 1882 after Slayback barged into the editor's office demanding an apology for re-published offensive material.
What historic document did the St. Louis Post-Dispatch publish on the 22nd of May 1946?
On the 22nd of May 1946 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch became the first newspaper in the world to publish secret protocols for the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
How much money did Michael Pulitzer receive when he sold the St. Louis Post-Dispatch to Lee Enterprises in 2005?
Michael Pulitzer announced the sale of all assets including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch to Lee Enterprises of Davenport Iowa for $1.46 billion on the 31st of January 2005.
When was the Weatherbird cartoon feature introduced by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and who created it originally?
The newspaper introduced a front-page feature called the Weatherbird on the 11th of February 1901 which Harry B. Martin created until 1903 before Oscar Chopin took over the role through 1910.