Richard H. Sylvester, Sr. (April 17, 1830 – September 2, 1895) was one of the pioneer journalists of Iowa.

Biography

He was born in Charlestown, New Hampshire on April 17, 1830 to Henry H. Sylvester and Elizabeth Hubbard. He attended school at

Phillips Exeter Academy (not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God) , location = 20 Main Street , city = Exeter, New Hampshire , zipcode ...

, enrolled at Yale College with the Class of 1851 but left at the end of his sophomore year, and graduated at the Law School of Ann Arbor. In 1854, he came to Iowa and continued his law studies with Judge

James Grant James Grant may refer to: Politics and law *Sir James Grant, 1st Baronet (died 1695), Scottish lawyer *Sir James Grant, 6th Baronet (1679–1747), Scottish Whig politician *Sir James Grant, 8th Baronet (1738–1811), Scottish member of parliament * ...

and John F. Dillon at

Davenport Davenport may refer to: Places Australia *Davenport, Northern Territory, a locality * Hundred of Davenport, cadastral unit in South Australia **Davenport, South Australia, suburb of Port Augusta **District Council of Davenport, former local govern ...

. In 1855, he went to

Iowa City Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the time ...

and reported the proceedings of the

general assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...

. Later he established the ''Iowa City State Reporter'', a Democratic paper. He was chosen superintendent of schools in

Johnson County, Iowa Johnson County is located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 152,854, making it the fourth-most populous county in Iowa. The county seat is Iowa City, home of the University of Iowa. Johnson County is included ...

and founded the ''Iowa State Press'', after conducting it several years sold it to John P. Irish. During the Civil War, he was a war correspondent of the '' New York World''. In 1862, he was nominated by the Democratic party for Secretary of State but was not elected. He went south and was for some time editor of the ''Memphis Argus'', and secretary of the

Howard Association Howard Association, a benevolent organization, was formed in Norfolk, Virginia during the 1856 Yellow Fever Epidemic which killed 1 in 3 residents of Norfolk and sister city Portsmouth in Hampton Roads. Contributions were used to set up a hospit ...

. He located in St. Louis where he was managing editor of the ''St. Louis Daily Times''. In 1880, he removed to

Washington, D. C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

, where he was associated with Frank Hatton on the '' Washington Post'' as managing editor until he died in 1896. Mr. Sylvester was an able and graceful writer, spending nearly all of his mature life in journalism. His eulogy on Governor

Samuel J. Kirkwood Samuel Jordan Kirkwood (December 20, 1813 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician who twice served as governor of Iowa, twice as a U.S. Senator from Iowa, and as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Early life and career Samuel Jordan ...

was one of the finest productions of the times. He was the originator of the Memorial Bridge project over the Potomac to commemorate the war and link the North with the

South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

. He died on September 2, 1895. He was buried in Rock Creek Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sylvester, Richard 1830 births 1895 deaths The Washington Post people American war correspondents Writers from New Hampshire People from Charlestown, New Hampshire Phillips Exeter Academy alumni 19th-century American journalists American male journalists 19th-century American male writers Burials at Rock Creek Cemetery Yale College alumni University of Michigan Law School alumni