Frederic Hudson (April 25, 1819 – October 21, 1875) was a leading 19th century American newspaper

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, a ...

, working from 1838 to 1866 for ''

New York Herald The ''New York Herald'' was a large-distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between 1835 and 1924. At that point it was acquired by its smaller rival the '' New-York Tribune'' to form the '' New York Herald Tribune''. Hi ...

'', where he served as managing editor, and was influential in the development of

American journalism Mass media are the means through which information is transmitted to a large audience. This includes newspapers, television, radio, and more recently the Internet. Organizations that provide news through mass media in the United States are coll ...

Biography

Hudson was born in

Quincy, Massachusetts Quincy ( ) is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county. Quincy is part of the Greater Boston area as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in ...

, in 1819,The National cyclopaedia of American biography (Volume 11)
p. 162 (1901)Heidler, David Stephen & Jeanne T. (eds.
Encyclopedia of the American Civil War
p. 1013-14 (2000) ()Wilson, Leslie Perrin (November/December 2001)

, ''The Concord Magazine''
, Concord Library, Retrieved May 31, 2011 and attended the town school in

Concord, Massachusetts Concord () is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. In the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the town population was 18,491. The United States Census Bureau considers Concord part of Greater Boston. The town center is n ...

. When he was 17, he moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, where his brothers had opened "Hudson's News Room". In 1836, he there met James Gordon Bennett Sr., who had founded the ''Herald'' in 1835, and soon went to work for him, becoming the third full-time employee of the paper. Hudson was known for his diligent pursuit of news and attention to detail, and was eventually named as managing editor by Bennett. For example, instead of waiting for ships to arrive at the dock to pick up their news, he sent out boats he meet ships to get the news faster. He pursued detailed coverage of the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, hiring over sixty-three

correspondent A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is usually a journalist or commentator for a magazine, or an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, locati ...

s. During Hudson's tenure, the paper developed from a local institution to a complex and far-ranging national organization. Hudson was also left solely in charge of the paper when Bennett would travel for extended periods, and the paper's circulation grew to become largest read daily paper in the United States by the time of the Civil War. In 1866, Hudson retired, and moved with his wife, who was in ill-health (along with their son Woodward) to

. (Bennett's son,

James Gordon Bennett Jr. James Gordon Bennett Jr. (May 10, 1841May 14, 1918) was an American publisher. He was the publisher of the ''New York Herald'', founded by his father, James Gordon Bennett Sr. (1795–1872), who emigrated from Scotland. He was generally known as ...

, took over the running of the paper.) In 1873, Hudson published a history of American newspapers, ''Journalism in the United States, from 1690 to 1872'',(January 4, 1873)
New Publications (Book Review)
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' which became the authoritative text on the development of American journalism. Hudson, 1873, title page Hudson died on October 21, 1875, from injuries suffered when he fell from a horse carriage that was struck by railroad cars at a crossing in Concord.(October 22, 1875)
Death of Mr. Frederic Hudson
''

''(October 25, 1875)
Funeral of Frederic Hudson
''

''(October 22, 1875)
Frederic Hudson and American Journalism
, ''Boston Daily Globe'' His ''New York Herald'' obituary described him as "the father of American journalism, so far as enterprise, sagacity and boldness in gathering news are concerned."

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External links

Journalism in the United States, from 1690-1872
(1873) (full text) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hudson, Frederic 1819 births 1875 deaths 19th-century American newspaper editors Writers from Quincy, Massachusetts New York Herald people Historians of American media American male journalists 19th-century American male writers