E. W. Scripps (businessman)

Lore & Background

E. W. Scripps was born and raised in Rushville, Illinois, to James Mogg Scripps from London and Julia Adeline Osborne from New York. He went by his initials and often signed his middle name as 'Wyllis'. According to his confidential assistant Gilson Gardner, Scripps was a prolific consumer of whisky and cigars, reportedly drinking a gallon each day while bearing a lit cigar at all waking hours. E. W. started as an office boy there. With financial support from Ellen, he went on to begin or acquire some 25 newspapers, forming the basis of the E. W. Scripps Company. He eventually lived there year-round and conducted business from his ranch, which now encompasses Scripps Ranch and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

Reader's Guide

E. W. Scripps's significance lies in his creation of a major newspaper chain and a wire service that challenged the Associated Press, promoting editorial independence. He believed a newspaper must 'antagonize the selfish interests' of advertisers to serve the public. His philanthropic legacy includes co-founding the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and founding Science Service, which advanced public understanding of science. The E. W. Scripps Company remains a diversified media conglomerate, and the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University is named for him. His half-sister Ellen Browning Scripps is honored by Scripps College. His descendant Charles E. Scripps transformed the company into a publicly traded media firm. Scripps's life reflects the rise of modern journalism and the intersection of media, philanthropy, and science.

Did You Know?

• E. W. Scripps reportedly drank a gallon of whisky each day and kept a lit cigar at all waking hours.
• His ranch in San Diego later became the community of Scripps Ranch and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
• He died at age 71 aboard his yacht Ohio anchored in Monrovia Bay, Liberia.