Securing a controlling interest in the Chattanooga Times at age 19 for a borrowed $250 marked the start of a transformative career in American media. Adolph Ochs eventually assumed control of The New York Times, shifting the publication toward a model of objective reporting that redefined journalism standards during the early twentieth century.
Early Career and Education
Born in Cincinnati in 1858 to German immigrants Julius and Bertha Ochs, Adolph spent his formative years in Knoxville, Tennessee. He gained early experience in the newspaper industry as an office assistant for the Knoxville Chronicle and later worked as a printer's devil. His diverse early employment also included time as a grocer's clerk in Providence, Rhode Island, and as a pharmacy apprentice.
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In 1896, Ochs purchased The New York Times for $75,000, forming the New York Times Company. Under his leadership and with managing editor Carr Van Anda, the paper prioritized factual journalism over partisan rhetoric. By reducing the price per issue to one cent, Ochs facilitated rapid circulation growth, expanding readership from 9,000 to 780,000 by the 1920s. He later relocated the company headquarters to Longacre Square, which subsequently became known as Times Square.
Diversification and Philanthropy
Ochs managed various publications, including The Tradesman and the Philadelphia Public Ledger. He served on the executive board of the Anti-Defamation League and utilized his journalistic platform to discourage the negative stereotyping of Jewish people. Elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1931, Ochs also invested in community infrastructure, such as the Mizpah Congregation Temple in Chattanooga, which he built to honor his parents.
Family Legacy
Following his death in 1935 in Chattanooga, the stewardship of The New York Times remained within his family. His daughter, Iphigene Ochs Sulzberger, and her husband, Arthur Hays Sulzberger, maintained the publishing legacy, which continued through subsequent generations, including Arthur Ochs Sulzberger and A. G. Sulzberger. Ochs is buried at the Temple Israel Cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1858, Cincinnati
- Died: 1935, Chattanooga
- Citizenship: United States
- Notable Acquisition: The New York Times (1896)
- Professional Member: American Philosophical Society
- Burial Site: Temple Israel Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of the 1904 move to Times Square?
Ochs moved the newspaper to a new building on Longacre Square, which led the City of New York to rename the location Times Square.
How did Ochs approach the newspaper business model?
He focused on objective reporting, lowered the price per copy to one cent to increase circulation, and implemented the famous motto, 'All the News That's Fit to Print'.
