Hooker, Richard, 1878-1967

Journalist; B.A., Yale, 1899; joined the staff of the Springfield Republican and was Washington correspondent from 1904 to 1911, literary editor from 1911-1915, and editor-in-chief from 1915-1922; retired in 1922 due to poor health and became president of the Republican Company which position he retained until 1932; he directed the Associated Press between 1927 and 1934.

Richard Hooker, journalist, was born in Augusta, Georgia, on 20 February 1878, the son of Thomas and Sarah Augustus (Bowles) Hooker. He received his B.A. from Yale in 1899, after which he spent a year studying in Europe. Soon after his return he joined the staff of the Springfield Republican, the newspaper founded by his great-grandfather, Samuel Bowles I, in 1824. He was Washington correspondent from 1904 to 1911, literary editor from 1911 to 1915, and editor-in-chief from 1915 to 1922. He resigned from the editorship because of poor health in 1922 and became president of the Republican Company, which position he retained until 1932. He directed the Associated Press between 1927 and 1934.

During his newspaper career, Hooker was associated with several United States presidents. Taft offered to make him White House press secretary, and Wilson chose him for assistant secretary of the treasury, but he declined both appointments.

Hooker married Winifred Eells Newberry on 31 December 1910. They had four children: Richard, Sarah Paige, Mary Newberry, and Arthur Bowles. Richard Hooker died on 25 November 1967.

From the guide to the Richard Hooker papers, 1907-1964, (Manuscripts and Archives)