James Geddes Stahlman (February 28, 1893 – May 1, 1976) was an American newspaper publisher and philanthropist. He was the publisher of the ''

Nashville Banner The ''Nashville Banner'' is a defunct daily newspaper of Nashville, Tennessee, United States, which published from April 10, 1876 until February 20, 1998. The ''Banner'' was published each Monday through Friday afternoon (as well as Saturdays unti ...

''. He was opposed to desegregation.

Early years

James Geddes Stahlman was born on February 28, 1893, in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

. His paternal grandfather was Major Edward Bushrod Stahlman, a German-born railroad executive and the owner of the ''

'', whose brother-in-law, Marcus Toney, was a

Klansman 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 ...

and Masonic leader. Stahlman earned his bachelor's degree from

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...

in 1916, and attended graduate school at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

for a year. He served as an infantry private in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

during

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 ...

Career

Stahlman began his career in journalism by working as a reporter for the ''Nashville Banner'' in 1912. He was the newspaper's co-owner with his uncle Frank Carl Stahlman from 1937 to 1955, when he became the sole owner. Stahlman wrote a column on the front page, ''From the Shoulder''. Stahlman won the

Maria Moors Cabot Prize The Maria Moors Cabot Prizes are the oldest international awards in the field of journalism. They are presented each fall by the Trustees of Columbia University to journalists in the Western hemisphere who are viewed as having made a significant co ...

in 1957. Stahlman sold the newspaper to the

Gannett Company Gannett Co., Inc. () is an American mass media holding company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. and he donated $5 million to the

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Vanderbilt University School of Medicine is a graduate medical school of Vanderbilt University located in Nashville, Tennessee. Located in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center on the southeastern side of the Vanderbilt University campus, the ...

in 1972-1973.

Desegregation

Stahlman served on the Board of Trust of his alma mater, Vanderbilt University, from 1930 to 1976. In 1960, he used the newspaper to publish misleading stories about Civil Rights leader James Lawson, which suggested Lawson had incited others to "violate the law" and led to his expulsion from the

Vanderbilt University Divinity School The Vanderbilt Divinity School and Graduate Department of Religion (usually Vanderbilt Divinity School) is an interdenominational divinity school at Vanderbilt University, a major research university located in Nashville, Tennessee. It is one of o ...

. The school was placed on probation for a year by the

American Association of Theological Schools The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) is an organization of seminaries and other graduate schools of theology. ATS has its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. History It was founded in 1918. The associ ...

, and the power of trustees was curtailed. Stahlman was "strongly anti-integration". However, within a few years, "Stahlman was downplaying his racist rhetoric, boasting of hiring of a black reporter, and donating $250 to the families of black girls killed in a church bombing in Birmingham." In 1967, Stahlman tried to keep

Stokely Carmichael Kwame Ture (; born Stokely Standiford Churchill Carmichael; June 29, 1941November 15, 1998) was a prominent organizer in the civil rights movement in the United States and the global pan-African movement. Born in Trinidad, he grew up in the Unite ...

from speaking on the Vanderbilt campus; after Carmichael's speech on April 8, a racially charged riot broke out in North Nashville. Stahlman blamed Chancellor G. Alexander Heard for letting students invite Carmichael on campus.

Personal life, death and legacy

Stahlman was married three times. With his first wife, Mildred Porter Thornton, Stahlman had two daughters, Mildred and Ann. Stahlman married his second wife, Effye Chumley, in 1939; she died in 1952, and he married his third wife, Gladys Breckenridge, in 1953. Stahlman died on May 1, 1976, at the

Vanderbilt University Hospital The Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is a medical provider with multiple hospitals in Nashville, Tennessee, as well as clinics and facilities throughout Middle Tennessee. VUMC is an independent non-profit organization, but maintains acad ...

, after suffering a stroke at Rand Hall during a Vanderbilt Board of Trust meeting. One of his daughters, Mildred T. Stahlman, is a professor of

pediatrics Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until th ...

and

pathology Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in ...

at Vanderbilt University. He is the namesake of the James G. Stahlman Professorship of American History at Vanderbilt University, currently held by Jefferson Cowie.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stahlman, James Geddes 1893 births 1976 deaths American people of German descent People from Nashville, Tennessee Vanderbilt University alumni 20th-century American newspaper publishers (people) Maria Moors Cabot Prize winners