Eugene Lorton (1869-1949) was the long-time editor and publisher of the ''

Tulsa World The ''Tulsa World'' is the daily newspaper for the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. Tulsa World Media Company is part of Lee Enterprises. The new owners announced in January 202 ...

'' newspaper. Born in Missouri, he moved to

Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population, 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

in 1911, where he bought a minority interest in the ''Tulsa World''. Within six years, he owned the newspaper outright. He spent the rest of his life in Tulsa.

Early life

Eugene Lorton was born on a farm in

Montgomery County, Missouri Montgomery County is a County (United States), county in the east central part of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 11,322. Its county seat is Montgomery City, Missouri, Montgomery C ...

, near Middletown on May 28, 1869. His father, R. R. Lorton, was a farmer and stock raiser who also worked on farms in Kansas and Texas. In his youth, Eugene attended public schools in Missouri and Kansas, before starting work as a printer's apprentice in

Medicine Lodge, Kansas Medicine Lodge is a city in and the county seat of Barber County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,781. History 19th century The particular medicine lodge, mystery house or sacred tabernacle from ...

. He worked briefly for a railroad, until he was injured in an accident in Kansas City, and returned to the newspaper business.Douglas, Clarence B. ''The History of Tulsa, Oklahoma'', Volume 3. p. 702. Retrieved April 13, 2013. Available on Google Book

/ref>

Career

After recovering from the train accident, Eugene Lorton moved to Idaho Territory, where he returned to the newspaper business. He published weekly papers in Salubria, Emmett and Boise. In 1896, he moved back to Kansas and bought the ''Linn County Republic'' in

Mound City, Kansas Mound City is a city in and the county seat of Linn County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 647. History Mound City was founded in 1855. It was named from Sugar Mound nearby, a hill covered with su ...

. He became active in politics and was elected mayor of Mound City. In 1900, he moved to

Walla Walla, Washington Walla Walla is a city in Walla Walla County, Washington, where it is the largest city and county seat. It had a population of 34,060 at the 2020 census, estimated to have decreased to 33,927 as of 2021. The population of the city and its two su ...

where he became managing editor of the ''Walla Walla Daily Union'' and founded the ''Walla Walla Daily Bulletin''. He also raised his political activity by becoming campaign manager for Governor Cosgrove. When Cosgrove was elected, he appointed Lorton as the chairman of the state board of control.

''Tulsa World''

The ''Tulsa World'' had been founded in 1905, and had been owned by Missouri mine owner, George Bayne and his brother-in-law Charles Dent. They also served as editors, after firing the previous editor in 1906, following a financial scandal. Its major competitor was the ''Morning News'', owned by local businessman,

Charles Page Charles Page (June 2, 1860 – December 27, 1926) was a businessman and important philanthropist in the early history of Tulsa, Oklahoma. After his father died when Page was an 11-year-old boy in Wisconsin, he left school early to try to help sup ...

.Cassity, R. O. Joe, Jr. ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. "Eugene Lorton." Retrieved April 13, 201

/ref> Lorton found an opportunity to become editor of, and purchase a one-third interest in, the ''Tulsa World'' in 1911, which he increased to one-half interest in 1913, by buying out Bayne's share.Chapman, Lee Roy. "Flim Flammery and the Devil:An Early History of the Tulsa World." January 4, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 201

/ref> By 1917, Lorton, with financial backing of oilman and banker,

Harry Sinclair Harry Alan Sinclair (born 1959) is a New Zealand film director, writer and actor. In his early career he was an actor and member of The Front Lawn, a musical theater duo. He went on to write and direct several short films, a TV series and thr ...

, owned the ''Tulsa World'' outright. In 1919, Page sold his paper to

Richard Lloyd Jones Richard Lloyd Jones (April 14, 1873 – December 4, 1963) was an American journalist who was the long-time editor and publisher of the now defunct ''Tulsa Tribune''. He was noted for his controversial positions on political issues. The son of a n ...

, who renamed it as the ''

Tulsa Tribune The ''Tulsa Tribune'' was an afternoon daily newspaper published in Tulsa, Oklahoma from 1919 to 1992. Owned and run by three generations of the Jones family, the ''Tribune'' closed in 1992 after the termination of its joint operating agreement w ...

''.Curtis, Gen
"Only in Oklahoma: Sand Springs founder helped others"
a
Oklahoma Centennial Stories
''Tulsa World'' Web Extra, October 16, 2007 (accessed April 13, 2013). The two papers would remain competitors until 1992. Tulsa's quest for a satisfactory water supply in the early 1900s soon developed into an acrimonious political fight and a personal feud between Lorton and Page.Krehbiel, Randy. ''Tulsa World''. "A Newspaper and Its Town." May 11, 2010. Retrieved April 14, 201

/ref>

Oklahoma politics

Lorton was active in the Republican party for most of his career. He immediately resumed his activities in Republican party politics after moving to Oklahoma. He was named a member of the finance committee of the

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...

in 1916. However, he became known as a "maverick" after he moved to Oklahoma. He was a supporter of organized labor, continually supported campaign finance reform and strongly opposed the

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...

. More conservative opponents in the party called him the "Republican Bryan." Democratic Oklahoma Governor

E. W. Marland Ernest Whitworth Marland, known as E. W. Marland (May 8, 1874 – October 3, 1941), was an American lawyer, oil businessman in Pennsylvania and Oklahoma, and politician who was a U.S. representative and Oklahoma governor. He served in the United ...

said that, "...Gene Marland runs a "propaganda sheet." Lorton ran in the Republican primary of 1924 to be the nominee for U. S. Senator from Oklahoma, but

William B. Pine William Bliss Pine (December 30, 1877August 25, 1942) was an American businessman who served as United States Senator from Oklahoma. Born in Illinois, he moved to Kansas and finally Oklahoma, where he became a prominent businessman and oil produce ...

defeated him soundly. In 1928, Lorton publicly supported the Democratic nominee for President,

Alfred E. Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was an American politician who served four terms as Governor of New York and was the Democratic Party's candidate for president in 1928. The son of an Irish-American mother and a Civ ...

. He transferred his political loyalty to the Democratic Party in 1932, but this turned out to be only temporary. He returned to the Republican Party in 1940, and remained a member for the rest of his life.

Death

Eugene Lorton died in Tulsa of a heart ailment on October 17, 1949. His widow, Maud, died in 1962.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lorton, Eugene 1869 births 1949 deaths People from Montgomery County, Missouri Businesspeople from Tulsa, Oklahoma American newspaper publishers (people) People from Medicine Lodge, Kansas Mayors of places in Kansas People from Mound City, Kansas