Paul R. Purman (April 19, 1886 – April 18, 1937) was an American

sportswriter Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted to the social elite and transitioned into an integral part of the n ...

. Purman had a lengthy career in journalism, but he is best known for his work in the years from 1916 to 1918 when his sports column was syndicated in hundreds of newspapers and he selected an annual All-America football team for the

Newspaper Enterprise Association The Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) is an editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States and established in 1902. The oldest syndicate still in operation, the NEA was originally a secondary news ...

Early years

Purman was born in 1886 at

Monroeville, Indiana Monroeville is a town in Monroe Township, Allen County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,235 as of the 2010 census. History Monroeville was platted in 1851. It was named from Monroe Township. A post office was established at Monroevi ...

. His father James Nelson Purman was a merchant in

Montpelier, Indiana Montpelier is a city in Harrison Township, Blackford County, Indiana, Harrison Township, Blackford County, Indiana, Blackford County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. This small Rural area, rural community, the county's first to be platted, was est ...

, operating Purman, Johnston & Co.' Big Store. Purman attended preparatory school in

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

, and was appointed to the United States Naval Academy. However, he failed the physical examination "on account of an affliction of his eyes." Purman enrolled instead at

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, or simply Indiana) is a public university, public research university in Bloomington, Indiana. It is the flagship university, flagship campus of Indiana University and, with ...

. In 1907, he worked for the Indiana Pipe Line Company and the Ohio Oil Company.

Journalist

Purman began his career in journalism with ''The Evening Herald'' in his hometown of

. In August 1907, he accepted a full-time position as a reporter for the ''Bluffton Banner'' in

Bluffton, Indiana Bluffton is a city in Harrison and Lancaster townships, Wells County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 10,308 at the 2020 census and the estimated population is 10,390. The city is the county seat of Wells County. History Blufft ...

. In November 1907, he moved to

Danville, Illinois Danville is a city in and the county seat of Vermilion County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 33,027. As of 2019, the population was an estimated 30,479. History The area that is now Danville was once home to the Miami, K ...

as a reporter for a newspaper there. He later returned to Montplier as the editor of ''The Evening Herald''. He next joined the staff of the Marion ''Chronicle'' in approximately 1910. From 1916 to 1918, Purman became a nationally syndicated sportswriter. He was affiliated with the

, a syndicate of several hundred newspapers, and selected an annual college football All-America team for the NEA. In the 1920s, he returned to Cleveland and became the news editor for ''Midweek Magazine''.

Selected articles by Purman

Chick Harley Western Star of 1916 Season
(

Chic Harley Charles Wesley "Chic" Harley (September 15, 1895 – April 21, 1974) was an American football player and athlete, often credited with bringing Ohio State University's football program to national attention. Harley was Ohio State's first consens ...

), November 26, 1916
Nap Lajoie Is Through: Master Ball Player Gives Up Baseball After 20 Years!
(

Nap Lajoie Napoléon "Nap" Lajoie (; September 5, 1874 – February 7, 1959), also known as Larry Lajoie and nicknamed "The Frenchman", was an American professional baseball second baseman and player-manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for t ...

), November 26, 1916
Chronicle's Own All-American 1916 Football Team
(

1916 College Football All-America Team The 1916 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans for the 1916 college football season. The only selectors for the 1916 season who have been recognized as "official" by the Nation ...

), December 3, 1916
Charity Backs Prizefighter for Charity When Carpentier Boxes for French Soldiers Relief!
(

Georges Carpentier Georges Carpentier (; 12 January 1894 – 28 October 1975) was a French boxer, actor and World War I pilot. He fought mainly as a light heavyweight and heavyweight in a career lasting from 1908 to 1926. Nicknamed the "Orchid Man", he stood and hi ...

), December 1916
Ball Players With Prominent Noses Nearly Always Deliver
December 11, 1916
Kid M'Coy, Divorce Champion, Loses Decision In Eighth Matrimonial Engagement!
(

Kid McCoy Charles "Kid" McCoy (October 13, 1872 – April 18, 1940), born Norman Selby, was an American boxer and early Hollywood actor. He claimed the vacant world middleweight title when he scored an upset victory over Tommy Ryan by 15th round knockou ...

), December 17, 1916
The New Woman: She Will Be Athletic and Compete with Man at His Own Game
(

Alexa Stirling Alexa Stirling Fraser (September 5, 1897 – April 15, 1977) was an American-Canadian amateur golfer. She won the U.S. Women's Amateur golf championship in 1916, 1919, and 1920. She also won the Canadian Women's Amateur title in 1920 and 1934. ...

), December 18, 1916
Hunting Toll Is Severe: America's Most Dangerous Sport Claims Over One Hundred Fifty lives in Fifteen States This Year
December 21, 1916
K.O. Punch! Only Two Places Real Knockout Can Be Landed, Says Johnny Kilbane, Featherweight Champion of the World!
(

Johnny Kilbane John Patrick Kilbane (April 9, 1889 – May 31, 1957) was an American featherweight boxer in the early part of the 20th century. He held the World Featherweight title from 1912 to 1923, the longest period in the division's history, having defen ...

), December 23, 1916
Stars Haven't 'Old Fire'
December 31, 1916
What Will 1917 Bring To Sport? 1916 Produced New Records
January 4, 1917
Fultz In the Fight to a Finish
(

Dave Fultz David Lewis Fultz (May 29, 1875 – October 29, 1959) was an American football and baseball player and coach. He played Major League Baseball as a center fielder in the National League with the Philadelphia Phillies (1898–1899) and Baltimore ...

), January 27, 1917
Dode Paskert Invents Plan To Fool Fielders
(

Dode Paskert George Henry "Dode" Paskert (August 28, 1881 – February 12, 1959) was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1907 through 1921 for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago Cubs. Career Born in Clevela ...

), January 30, 1917
Why Alexander Wants More Coin! Phillies Great Pitcher Is Paid Less Than Any Other Great Baseball Star
(

Grover Cleveland Alexander Grover Cleveland Alexander (February 26, 1887 – November 4, 1950), nicknamed "Old Pete", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played from 1911 through 1930 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals. He ...

), February 18, 1917
Sothoron Looks Like Iron Man: Recruit Pitcher of Browns May Prove Star
(

Allen Sothoron AllenFaber, Charles"Allen Sothoron" SABR Biography Project Sutton Sothoron (April 27, 1893 – June 17, 1939) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. As a player, he was a spitball pitcher who spent 11 years in the major ...

), April 22, 1917
Old Orioles' Base Stealing Quartet
(

Hughie Jennings Hugh Ambrose Jennings (April 2, 1869 – February 1, 1928) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager from 1891 to 1925. Jennings was a leader, both as a batter and as a shortstop, with the Baltimore Orioles teams that won Nat ...

John McGraw John Joseph McGraw (April 7, 1873 – February 25, 1934) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager who was for almost thirty years manager of the New York Giants. He was also the third baseman of the pennant-winning 1890 ...

Willie Keeler William Henry Keeler (March 3, 1872 – January 1, 1923), nicknamed "Wee Willie" because of his small stature, was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1892 to 1910, primarily for the Baltimore Orioles and Brooklyn ...

Joe Kelley Joseph James Kelley (December 9, 1871 – August 14, 1943) was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) who starred in the outfield of the Baltimore Orioles teams of the 1890s. Making up the nucleus of the Orioles along with Joh ...

), May 6, 1917
Batting Faces: Watch Your Favorite Next Time He Takes A Wallop At The Ball, You Won't Recognize Him
July 23, 1917
Cobb Sets Huge Task For Self: Hopes To Tie Jess Burkett's Record by Batting Over 400 for Trio of Seasons
(

Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the las ...

), July 24, 1917
Lefty Williams May Be Dark Horse of Series
(

Lefty Williams Claude Preston "Lefty" Williams (March 9, 1893 – November 4, 1959) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is probably best known for his involvement in the 1919 World Series fix, known as the Black Sox Scandal. Career Willia ...

), September 26, 1917
Cicotte Tells The Secret of the 'Shine Ball'
(

Eddie Cicotte Edward Victor Cicotte (; June 19, 1884 – May 5, 1969), nicknamed "Knuckles", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball best known for his time with the Chicago White Sox. He was one of eight players permanently ineligible f ...

), September 26, 1917
Sisler Only Ball Player Who Can Hope to Fill Ty Cobb's Shoes as a Super-star
(

George Sisler George Harold Sisler (March 24, 1893 – March 26, 1973), nicknamed "Gorgeous George", was an American professional baseball first baseman and player-manager. From 1915 through 1930, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Br ...

), March 16, 1918
If White Sox Are Beaten Out, It Will Be the Biggest Surprise in Baseball
( 1918 Chicago Black Sox), April 10, 1918
Place Hitting: Ty Cobb Airs His View on Most Contested Question in Baseball
(Ty Cobb), July 9, 1918
War Conditions Give Schoolboy Phenom Early Chance With Giants
(

Waite Hoyt Waite Charles Hoyt (September 9, 1899 – August 25, 1984) was an American right-handed professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for seven different teams during 1918–1938. He was one of the dominant pitchers of the 19 ...

), August 19, 1918
Cubs Lead In Box, Behind Bat and In Offensive Strength: That's Why They Should Win -- Says Purman
( 1918 Chicago Cubs), September 3, 1918
Knowledge of Baseball Wins Cross for Soldier 'Over There'
(Pvt. George W. Holly), September 4, 1918
How Our Soldiers and Sailors Play the 'Rescue Relay'
September 26, 1918
How Our Soldiers Play -- The 'Human Wheelbarrow Race'
October 3, 1918
The John L. of Wrestling: Farmer Burns at 57 as Young as He Was 30 Years Ago
(

Farmer Burns Martin Burns (February 15, 1861 – January 8, 1937), nicknamed Farmer Burns, was an American catch wrestler, wrestling coach, and teacher. Born in Cedar County, Iowa, he started wrestling as a teenager and made money traveling around the Midw ...

), October 6, 1918
How Our Soldiers and Sailors Play 'Medicine Ball Rounders'
October 7, 1918
Why He Was 'Terrible Terry': High Spots in Career of Greatest Bantam of Them All
(

Terry McGovern Terry McGovern may refer to: *Terry McGovern (boxer) (1880–1918), boxer who held the world bantamweight and featherweight titles *Terry McGovern (actor) Terence McGovern (born May 11, 1942) is an American actor, television broadcaster, radio pe ...

), December 18, 1918

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Purman, Paul 1886 births 1937 deaths Indiana University alumni People from Allen County, Indiana Writers from Cleveland People from Danville, Illinois Writers from Indiana People from Blackford County, Indiana People from Bluffton, Indiana Journalists from Ohio Journalists from Illinois Sportswriters from Illinois