Edwin Thomas Meredith (December 23, 1876June 17, 1928) was an American entrepreneur, founder of the

Meredith Corporation Meredith Corporation was an American media conglomerate based in Des Moines, Iowa, that owned magazines, television stations, websites, and radio stations. Its publications had a readership of more than 120 million and paid circulation of more ...

and also served as the

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other governments. The department includes several organi ...

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

's administration.

Early life and politics

Meredith was born in

Avoca, Iowa Avoca (Irish: Abhóca, meaning 'the great river') is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,672 at the 2020 census. History Avoca was founded in 1869 in connection with the construction of the Chicago, Rock Isl ...

on December 23, 1876, to Minerva Jane (née Marsh) and Thomas Oliver Meredith. He attended

Highland Park College Highland Park College was a college located in Des Moines, Iowa. History Founded by a local business syndicate, Highland Park opened its doors in 1890. At the time, Highland Park was an emerging northern suburb of the capital city. Enrollment cli ...

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

. In 1894, Meredith became the general manager of ''Farmer's Tribune'', a Populist newspaper run by his grandfather.

Meredith married Edna C. Elliott on January 8, 1896. They resided in Des Moines and were the parents of two children, Edwin T. "Ed" Meredith II, and Mildred M. Bohen. Meredith ran the ''Farmer's Tribune'' until 1902, when he began publishing his own magazine, ''Successful Farming'', which reached 100,000 subscribers by 1908. Meredith served as vice president and president of the Agricultural Publishers Association and was a member of the board of directors of the

United States Chamber of Commerce The United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC) is the largest lobbying group in the United States, representing over three million businesses and organizations. The group was founded in April 1912 out of local chambers of commerce at the urging ...

from 1915 until 1919, and again from 1923 until his death.

Wilson administration

Once a member of the Populist Party, he was later active as a

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 (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, and ran unsuccessfully for a

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

seat in 1914. In 1916, he ran unsuccessfully for

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

. Despite his unsuccessful campaigns, Meredith maintained a high profile among rural voters and farmers because of his magazine. As a result,

appointed him to the Treasury Department's Advisory Committee on Excess Profits, and he served on the board of directors of the

Federal Reserve Bank A Federal Reserve Bank is a regional bank of the Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the United States. There are twelve in total, one for each of the twelve Federal Reserve Districts that were created by the Federal Reserve A ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

from 1918 until 1920. In 1918 Wilson appointed Meredith to the American War Mission, which visited England and France to observe U.S. military activities and report to Wilson on recommendations for improving conditions for service members serving in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. On February 2, 1920, Meredith was appointed

, succeeding David F. Houston, who had been appointed

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

Later career

He was succeeded by Henry C. Wallace at the start of

Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. A ...

's administration in 1921, and he returned to publishing. He bought the ''Dairy Farmer'' in 1922, and later started ''Fruit, Garden, and Home'', which he later renamed '' Better Homes and Gardens''. In 1924, Meredith supported

William G. McAdoo William Gibbs McAdoo Jr.McAdoo is variously differentiated from family members of the same name: * Dr. William Gibbs McAdoo (1820–1894) – sometimes called "I" or "Senior" * William Gibbs McAdoo (1863–1941) – sometimes called "II" or "Ju ...

for president. When the convention deadlocked, Meredith allowed his name to be put forward as Iowa's favorite son before the nomination went to

John W. Davis John William Davis (April 13, 1873 – March 24, 1955) was an American politician, diplomat and lawyer. He served under President Woodrow Wilson as the Solicitor General of the United States and the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom ...

on the 103rd ballot. Davis personally offered the vice presidential nomination to Meredith, but he refused the offer. Meredith's supporters planned to suggest his name for president again in 1928, but he declined because of illness. Meredith died in Des Moines on June 17, 1928, and was buried at Glendale Masonic Cemetery in Des Moines. After his death his company, the Meredith Corporation, continued publication of ''Better Homes and Gardens'' and other magazines. He was later inducted into the

Advertising Hall of Fame The Advertising Hall of Fame, operated by the American Advertising Federation (AAF), began in 1948 as a result of a proposal by the New York Ad Club and its president, Andrew Haire, to the Advertising Federation of America, the predecessor organiza ...

. In 2008, Meredith was named by '' Professional Remodeler'' magazine as one of the 11 most influential people in the history of remodeling.Housing Zone.com
The 10 Most Influential People in the Remodeling Industry
retrieved May 1, 2014

References

External links

at www.infoplease.com , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Meredith, Edwin Thomas 1876 births 1928 deaths American magazine founders American people of Welsh descent People from Avoca, Iowa United States Chamber of Commerce people Iowa Democrats Iowa Populists Candidates in the 1924 United States presidential election 20th-century American politicians United States Secretaries of Agriculture Woodrow Wilson administration cabinet members Meredith Corporation people Businesspeople from Iowa