Joseph Russell Knowland (August 5, 1873 – February 1, 1966) was an American politician and newspaper publisher. He served as a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from California and was owner, editor and publisher of the ''

Oakland Tribune The ''Oakland Tribune'' was a daily newspaper published in Oakland, California, and a predecessor of the '' East Bay Times''. It was published by the Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of MediaNews Group. Founded in 1874, the ''Tribune'' ...

''. He was the father of

United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

William F. Knowland William Fife Knowland (June 26, 1908 – February 23, 1974) was an American politician and newspaper publisher. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a United States Senator from California from 1945 to 1959. He was Senate Majority L ...

Early life

Knowland was born in

Alameda, California Alameda ( ; ; Spanish for "Avenue (landscape), tree-lined path") is a city in Alameda County, California, United States, located in the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), East Bay region of the Bay Area. The city is built on an informal archipe ...

on August 5, 1873, the son of Joseph Knowland (1833–1912) and Hannah Bailey Russell (1832–1921). His siblings included two sisters, Sadie (1864–1905) and Lucille (1870–1926), and a brother, Hollis, who died in infancy. Knowland attended Alameda Park Street Primary School and Hopkins Academy, and graduated from the University of the Pacific in 1895.

Start of career

After college, Knowland joined his father's wholesale lumber and shipping business. His business career proved successful, and ventures in which Knowland participated included: Gardiner Mill Company (president); Kennedy Mine & Milling Company (director); Alameda National Bank (director); and Union Savings Bank of Oakland (director). He was also active in several fraternal and civic organizations, to include the

Freemasons Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

Shriners Shriners International, formally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS), is an American Masonic body, Masonic society. Founded in 1872 in New York City, it is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and has over ...

Elks The Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset (ELKS), formerly known as Linux-8086, is a Linux-like operating system kernel. It is a subset of the Linux kernel, intended for 16-bit computers with limited processor and memory resources such as machines pow ...

Modern Woodmen of America Modern Woodmen of America (MWA) is an American Benefit society, fraternal benefit society, which sells various investments and insurance products, with membership over 750,000 as of 2017. Total assets reached US$17.5 Billion 1,000,000,000 (numbe ...

Native Sons of the Golden West The Native Sons of the Golden West (NSGW) is a fraternity, fraternal service organization founded in the U.S. state of California in 1875, dedicated to historic preservation and documentation of the state's historic structures and places, the pla ...

, and California Landmarks League. Knowland's memberships also included the California Centennials Council,

California Historical Society The California Historical Society (CHS) was the official historical society of California, until it dissolved and transferred its collections to the Stanford University Libraries in an agreement that was announced in January 2025. Founded in 1871 ...

California Chamber of Commerce The California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber) is a broad-based business advocacy group in California, United States, originating as the California State Board of Trade in 1890. Its membership includes large and small firms from every industry, ...

, California State Automobile Association, Oakland Chamber of Commerce, Oakland Community Chest,

Mills College Mills College at Northeastern University in Oakland, California is part of Northeastern University's global university system. Mills College was founded as the Young Ladies Seminary in 1852 in Benicia, California; it was relocated to Oakland in ...

Board of Trustees, Oakland National Horse Show, and Athens Athletic Club.

Political career

California Assembly

Knowland joined the Alameda Good Government Club in early 1895. In 1896, he was appointed to the Alameda Library Board of Trustees. In 1898, he was a successful Republican candidate for the

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature (the upper house being the California State Senate). The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Califor ...

. He was reelected in 1900, and served from 1899 to 1903. During his Assembly career, Knowland chaired the Assembly committee that investigated the corruption in the San Francisco police. His efforts resulted in passage of a law prohibiting the human trafficking of Chinese women.

California Senate

In 1902, Knowland was elected to the

California State Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature (the lower house being the California State Assembly). The state senate convenes, along with the state assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. ...

. He served until resigning in order to take the seat in the

to which he had been elected in 1904. During Knowland's Senate term, he was chairman of the body's committee on banking.

Member of Congress

In 1904, Knowland was elected to Congress in a special election, filling the vacancy caused by the resignation of

Victor H. Metcalf Victor Howard Metcalf (October 10, 1853 – February 20, 1936) was an American politician; he served in President Theodore Roosevelt's cabinet as Secretary of Commerce and Labor, and then as Secretary of the Navy. Early life and education Bor ...

. He was reelected to five full terms and served from September 24, 1904, to March 3, 1915. His district included the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

Benicia Arsenal The Benicia Arsenal (1851–1964) and Benicia Barracks (1852–66) were part of a large military reservation located next to Suisun Bay in Benicia, California. For over 100 years, the arsenal was the primary US Army Ordnance facility for the W ...

and the U.S. Naval Shipyard at

Mare Island Mare Island (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Isla de la Yegua'') is a peninsula in the United States in the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait junc ...

, so Knowland had a keen interest in the military. As a congressman, he worked to obtain approval for construction of Navy

capital ship The capital ships of a navy are its most important warships; they are generally the larger ships when compared to other warships in their respective fleet. A capital ship is generally a leading or a primary ship in a naval fleet. Strategic i ...

s in California and for a two-ocean fleet. In addition, Knowland advocated for American ships to use the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...

toll free. Knowland sought to succeed George C. Perkins in the U.S. Senate. In 1914, he won the Republican primary over Samuel M. Shortridge. However, he was unsuccessful in the general election, a three-way race with

Francis J. Heney Francis Joseph Heney (March 17, 1859 – October 31, 1937) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician. Heney is known for prosecuting high city officials in the San Francisco graft trials in 1906 to 1908. Heney served as Arizona Attorney Gene ...

of the Progressive Party and the winner,

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

James D. Phelan James Duval Phelan (April 20, 1861 – August 7, 1930) was an American politician, civic leader, and banker. He served as nonpartisan mayor of San Francisco from 1897 to 1902. As mayor he advocated municipally run utilities and tried to protect ...

''The Oakland Tribune''

Knowland became owner, editor, president and publisher of ''

The Oakland Tribune The ''Oakland Tribune'' was a daily newspaper published in Oakland, California, and a predecessor of the ''East Bay Times''. It was published by the Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of MediaNews Group. Founded in 1874, the ''Tribune'' ro ...

'' on 3 November 1915. He wrote, "It is perfectly understood that what it he ''Tribune''does, rather than what it promises, will determine the true measure of its worth; and with this understanding, the ''Tribune'', under its new control, girds to its work." Many years and court battles with Hermina Peralta Dargie (widow of owner William E. Dargie) passed before Knowland had full control of the ''Tribune''. Knowland built the

Tribune Tower The Tribune Tower is a , 36-floor Gothic Revival architecture, neo-Gothic skyscraper located at 435 Magnificent Mile, North Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The early 1920s international design competition for the tower bec ...

, a city landmark at 13th and Franklin Streets. He had a great interest in restoring the

California Missions The Spanish missions in California () formed a series of 21 religious outposts or missions established between 1769 and 1833 in what is now the U.S. state of California. The missions were established by Catholic priests of the Franciscan ord ...

. This had begun in 1903, with Mission San Antonio De Padua. He was a historical advisor during the 1927 California State Park Survey. In 1932, Knowland went to

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

and persuaded President

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was the 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. A wealthy mining engineer before his presidency, Hoover led the wartime Commission for Relief in Belgium and ...

and the

Reconstruction Finance Corporation The Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) was an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States federal government that served as a lender of last resort to US banks and businesses. Established in ...

to advance $62 million for the completion of the

San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, commonly referred to as the Bay Bridge, is a complex of bridges spanning San Francisco Bay in California. As part of Interstate 80 in California, Interstate 80 and the direct road between San Francisco an ...

. He created, with

Bruno Albert Forsterer Bruno Albert Forsterer (July 14, 1869 – June 13, 1957) was a United States Marines, U.S. Marine Sergeant#United States, Sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Second Samoan Civil War for "distinguished conduct in the pres ...

and Joseph Blum, the Franklin Investment Company in 1936 (later the Franklin Credit Union). In 1937, he attained the status of 33rd Degree Mason, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite. Knowland was a member of the Finance Committee of the

Golden Gate International Exposition The Golden Gate International Exposition (GGIE) was a World's Fair held at Treasure Island in San Francisco, California, U.S. The exposition operated from February 18, 1939, through October 29, 1939, and from May 25, 1940, through September 29, ...

of 1939–1940. In 1941, he authored ''California: A Landmark History''. He was the political mentor of

Earl Warren Earl Warren (March 19, 1891 – July 9, 1974) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 30th governor of California from 1943 to 1953 and as the 14th Chief Justice of the United States from 1953 to 1969. The Warren Court presid ...

; from assistant Oakland City Attorney to

Chief Justice of the United States The chief justice of the United States is the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States and is the highest-ranking officer of the U.S. federal judiciary. Appointments Clause, Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution g ...

. Knowland served on the California State Park Commission from 1934 to 1960 and was chairman from 1938 to 1960. He was appointed by Governor

as chairman of the California Centennial Commission from 1948 to 1950. Knowland was honored on September 9, 1951, by the City of Oakland and the State of California, with Joseph Knowland State Arboretum and Park in Oakland. He served as chairman of the Oakland Centennial in 1952, and the Alameda County Centennial in 1953. Knowland was proud of the political career of his son,

, United States Senator from 1945 to 1959, who served as

Senate Majority Leader The positions of majority leader and minority leader are held by two United States senators and people of the party leadership of the United States Senate. They serve as chief spokespersons for their respective political parties, holding the ...

from 1953 to 1955 and

Senate Minority Leader The positions of majority leader and minority leader are held by two United States senators and people of the party leadership of the United States Senate. They serve as chief spokespersons for their respective political parties, holding the ...

from 1955 to 1959. The only mistake that he felt his son made was his 1958 run and defeat for

Governor of California The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The Governor (United States), governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard. Established in the Constit ...

. He attended his first

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the Republican Party in the United States. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal o ...

in 1904. He attended the GOP conventions as a delegate or newspaperman until 1964. Oakland became a one-newspaper city on September 1, 1950, when

William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American newspaper publisher and politician who developed the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His extravagant methods of yellow jou ...

closed his ''Oakland Post-Enquirer''. The ''Oakland Tribune's'' radio station KLX began operation in 1921 and would be on the air until its sale in 1959.

Personal life

Knowland met Elinor (Ellie) J. Fife (1873–1908) of

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...

while they were students at University of the Pacific. Ellie was the daughter of Tacoma businessman W. H. Fife. Knowland and Ellie were married on April 2, 1894, in Tacoma. Three children were born to this union: Elinor Knowland Lion (1895–1978); Joseph Russell "Russ" Knowland, Jr. (1901–1961); and US Senator

(1908–1974). Shortly after the birth of William F. Knowland, Ellie Knowland died. Emelyn S West 1912 newspaper

Knowland, a young widower with children, met Emelyn S. West (1884–1950) of West Lynne,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. On September 28, 1909, they were wed in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. Emelyn Knowland was a loving stepmother and active in her husband's social and political life. Emelyn died July 14, 1950, during the California Centennial. Knowland's third wife, Clarice E. "Cookie" Cook (1902–1979), was an officer of the Native Daughters of the Golden West. Knowland and Cook were married on April 6, 1952, in

Stockton, California Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is the most populous city in the county, the List of municipal ...

. A shared interest in California history made a happy marriage for Knowland's twilight years. Knowland remained active in his old age and came each day to the ''Tribune''.

Death

Joseph Russell Knowland died February 1, 1966, in his residence at 25 Seaview Avenue in

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

. His wife Clarice and granddaughters Emelyn K. Jewett and Josephine L. Church were at his bedside. The next day, the ''Tribune's'' headline was "Joseph R. Knowland Dead". Joseph R. Knowland was praised by Republicans and Democrats. California Governor Edmund G.

Pat Brown Edmund Gerald "Pat" Brown (April 21, 1905 – February 16, 1996) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 32nd governor of California from 1959 to 1967. His first elected office was as district attorney for San Francisco, and he ...

said, "Knowland strongly believed in California...the State he loved so well." The public funeral of J.R. Knowland was held at the First Methodist Church and the private family service at Mountain View Cemetery Chapel in Oakland. He was cremated at Mountain View Cemetery Crematory and is inurned with his third wife, Clarice, in ''Serenity'' Section, Tier N-4, Number 3 at the Chapel of Memories Columbarium in Oakland, California.

Fraternal organizations

* Masons *

Knights Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...

* Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine *

Bohemian Club The Bohemian Club is a private club with two locations: a city clubhouse in the Nob Hill district of San Francisco, California, and the Bohemian Grove, a retreat north of the city in Sonoma County. Founded in 1872 from a regular meeting of jour ...

* Pacific Union Club *

Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE), commonly known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks, is an American fraternal order and charitable organization founded in 1868 in New York City. Originally established as a social club for m ...

—Oakland # 171 * Athens Athletic Club * Athenian Nile Club *

* Oakland and Alameda County Pioneers * Claremont Country Club * Associated Press * California Press Association's Newspaper Hall of Fame

Board memberships

* American Trust Company * Marchant Calculating Machine Company * Oakland Title Insurance and Guaranty Company * California State Automobile Association *

American Automobile Association American Automobile Association (AAA) is a federation of motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a privately held not-for-profit national member association and service organization with over 60 million members in the United States and Cana ...

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

* California State Park Commission * California State Chamber of Commerce

References

Sources

* California Blue Book. Sacramento: State Printing Office, 1909. * Gothberg, John A. "The Local Influence of Joseph R. Knowland's Oakland Tribune". ''Minneapolis Journalism Quarterly'' - 45, (Autumn 1968):487-95. * Knowland, Joseph R. ''California: A Landmark History''. Oakland: Tribune Press, 1941. * Wyatt, Daniel E. ''Joseph R. Knowland: The Political Years 1899-1915''. San Francisco, D.Wyatt, 1982. * Joseph R. Knowland Papers,

Bancroft Library The Bancroft Library is the primary special-collections library of the University of California, Berkeley. It was acquired from its founder, Hubert Howe Bancroft, in 1905, with the proviso that it retain the name Bancroft Library in perpetuity. ...

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

External links

*
Knowland Family at Political Graveyard

“Selections from Oakland Tribune Archives,” by Annalee Allen, Arcadia Publishing 2006

Finding Aid to the Joseph R. Knowland Papers, 1857-1966, bulk 1905-1960

The Bancroft Library The Bancroft Library is the primary special-collections library of the University of California, Berkeley. It was acquired from its founder, Hubert Howe Bancroft, in 1905, with the proviso that it retain the name Bancroft Library in perpetuity. ...

Join California Joseph R. Knowland
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knowland, Joseph R. 1873 births 1966 deaths Politicians from Alameda, California Republican Party California state senators Republican Party members of the California State Assembly Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California Knowland family 20th-century American newspaper publishers (people) 20th-century members of the California State Legislature 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives Candidates in the 1914 United States Senate elections