HOWARD, NATHANIEL RICHARDSON (23 Apr. 1898-23 Dec. 1980), last editor of the CLEVELAND NEWS, was born in Columbus, Ohio to Carlos N. and Anne M. (Richardson) Howard. He began his newspaper career at 14 as a reporter for the Conneaut News Herald, and while a student at Oberlin College, he worked for the Oberlin Tribune and served as campus correspondent for the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER. He began working for the Cleveland News in 1918 but switched to the Plain Dealer a month later, where he rose from police reporter to managing editor. In 1937, Howard was appointed editor of the Cleveland News by FOREST CITY PUBLISHING CO., which operated both the News and Plain Dealer. He maintained the staunch Republican identity of the News, opposing the New Deal in the 1930s and supporting Eisenhower in the 1950s. During WORLD WAR II, Howard was assistant director of the U.S. Office of Censorship, helping formulate a voluntary censorship program for the country's newspapers. Four months after the News ceased publication on 23 Jan. 1960, Howard rejoined the Plain Dealer as contributing editor until his retirement in 1963.
In retirement, Howard published Trust for All Times, a history of the CLEVELAND FOUNDATION (1963), and The First Hundred Years, a history of the UNION CLUB (1972). He was editor of the Basic Papers of George M. Humphrey, published by the WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY in 1965. Howard married Marjorie Norton on 13 Sept. 1918. After her death in 1928, he married Edith Moriarty on 30 July 1930. He had 2 daughters, Mary Anne Amsbary and Marjorie Johnson. Howard died in Cleveland.
Finding Aid for the Nathaniel R. Howard Papers, Series I, WRHS.
Finding Aid for the Nathaniel R. Howard Papers, Series II, WRHS.