The Press-Citizen’s past 150 years

The Press-Citizen is a marriage of two newspapers. The “Press” in Press-Citizen came from the Iowa State Press which was established in 1860 as a Democratic newspaper.

The “Citizen” title comes from the Iowa City Citizen, a weekly Republican paper first published in 1891.

The estimated population of Johnson County during the late 1800s was about 23,000; Iowa City had 6,900 residents.

According to Press-Citizen archives, the daily Press was to carry “the best telegraphic report of news given in Iowa City, and all of the local news, as well as the latest and freshest current miscellaney.” A subscription cost 10 cents a week.

The first color edition of the Press was published on July 28, 1906.

The Press continued to grow in size, circulation and amount of equipment, while its competition shrank.

In November 1920, the two papers merged under the name Iowa City Press-Citizen.

The reason given at the time: “Present and prospective conditions in the newspaper business, ... threaten an increase in producing costs too great to permit continuance on the present business.”

S.E. Carrell was president of the merged company for two months.

In 1921, the paper was bought by Merritt C. Speidel, an Ohio newspaper veteran. In August of that year, he explained his plans for the paper: “As already indicated, the news of the day is the first consideration. Local news will be stressed as of most importance, supported by strong telegraphic news reports of state and nation, and supplemented by only highclass features. In handling of the news, it will be the policy to emphasize the best in people and affairs rather than to magnify the sordid, selfish and evil side of life.”

In March 1930, a morning fire caused heavy damage at the Press-Citizen plant. Publication went uninterrupted thanks to the use of equipment owned by Student Publications Inc. at the University of Iowa.

Construction of a new plant at 319 E. Washington St. was announced in 1936 and opened the following year. At the time it was one of the most modern newspaper plants in the country.

Speidel was president and publisher until 1937 when he moved to Palo Alto, Calif., to establish the Speidel offices.

Bill Hageboeck took charge of the day-to-day operations, although Speidel retained the title of president and publisher until 1942 when Hageboeck assumed both titles.

Hageboeck retired in 1961 and was succeeded by E. J. “Jack” Liechty, then circulation manager, who became president and publisher. In 1966, Liechty was named secretary and general manager of the Speidel Newspapers Inc. in Reno, Nev. Kenneth Greene succeeded Liechty in 1972; he died unexpectedly in 1973.

In 1976, the Speidel Board of Directors voted to merge with Gannett Co. Inc., a move that was subsequently approved by stockholders and became effective May 12, 1977.

The paper moved to its present location at 1725 N. Dodge St. on Jan. 21, 1991. On Sept. 15, 1997, the Press-Citizen switched from afternoon to a morning newspaper.

Others who have served as president and publisher include J.C. Hickman (1973-87), Mary Parks Stier (1987-1991), Dionicio (Don) Flores (1991-1993), Chuck Wanninger (1993-2000) and Mike Beck (2000-2007). Andrea Rhoades served as general manager in the final months of 2007.

In 2008, Susan Patterson Plank took over as general manager. She was succeeded by Dan Brown in summer 2009.

The Press-Citizen’s Sunday newspaper in conjunction with The Des Moines Sunday Register first went to press Aug. 29, 1999. This paper serves as a Johnson County edition of the Des Moines Sunday Register.

In 2008, the Press-Citizen decommissioned its press and the Des Moines Register took over printing of the newspaper. In 2009, the Press-Citizen began contracting with Gazette Communications in Cedar Rapids to both print and deliver the Press-Citizen.

The Press-Citizen employs about 50 people.

Photo credits

Print edition:

• State Historical Society of Iowa: Anton Geiger, Bohumil Shimek, Carl Seashore, Charles Schaeffer, F.W. Kent, George MacLean, Gustavus Hinrichs, Irving Weber, Peter Dey, William Hohenschuh, Grant Wood.

• Johnson County Historical Society: Zella White Stewart.

• Iowa City Press-Citizen archives: Iver Opstad, John Colloton, Christine Grant, Dan Gable, Emma Harvat, Hayden Fry, James Van Allen, Kelly Hayworth, Minnette Doderer, Philip Hubbard, Ignacio Ponseti, Bill and Doris Preucil, Samuel Kirkwood, Steve West, Ted McCarrell, Virgil Hancher, Wilfreda Hieronymus, Richard Burger, Arthur Steindler, Everet Lindquist, Myrtle Aydelotte, Nile Kinnick, Paul Engle, Philip Clapp, Virgil Hancher, Walter Jessup, Wendell Johnson, Elizabeth Tate.

• Borrowed from private collections: Ben Summerwill Sr., C.D. Close, Fred Penny, Helen Lemme, Howard Bowen, William R. Boyd, Laurence Short and Kenneth Belle.

Online edition:

• Iowa City Press-Citizen archives: Allan Vestal, Bill Nusser, Bump Elliott, Chester Phillips, Darrell Wyrick, David Kanellis, David Vernon, Dewey Stuit, John Eckstein, Duane Spriestersbach, Earl Yoder, Ellen Buchanan, Emma Harvat, George Scanlon, Harold Donnelly, Harold Loren, J.J. Swanter, John Hughes, Michael Kattchee, Phil Hubbard, Raymond Bywater, Roland Smith, Roy Carver.

• Johnson County Historical Society: LeGrand Byington, The Englerts, Ezekiel Clark, James J. Clark, Elizabeth Winbigler.

• State Historical Society of Iowa: Aloys Schulte, Benjamin and Bertha Schaumbaugh, Bert Manville, C.L. Brandt, Gretchen Harshbarger, Herbert Hoover, Isaac Wetherby, John Irish, Frank Luther Mott, Moses Bloom, Nathan Leonard, Otto Vogel, Phoebe Sudlow, Robert Larson, William Zimmerman.

• University of Iowa Frederick W. Kent Collection: Charles Schaeffer, Eddie Anderson, Bucky O'Connor, Frank Seiberling, Gerald Weeg, Gustavus Hinrichs, Hunter Rouse, Mary Brodbeck, Mason Ladd, Nathan Leonard, Ralph Miller, Bohumil Shimek, Willard Welsh, Woody Morris.