Origin On February 21, 1874, the
Oakland Daily Tribune was founded by editor George Staniford and printer Benet "Ben" A. Dewes. At that time the competition was the
Oakland News and
Oakland Transcript. The paper's first editorial stated, "There seems to be an open field for a journal like the
Tribune in Oakland, and we accordingly proceed to occupy it, presenting the
Tribune, which is intended to be a permanent daily paper, deriving its support solely from advertising patronage." That August, Staniford sold his half interest to Dewes. The paper's office moved to 911 Broadway in January 1875. A.B. Gibson joined Dewes as co-owner in February 1876. The partnership soon dissolved and A. E. Nightingill bought a half-interest.
The William Dargie era In July 1876, Dewes sold the
Oakland Daily Evening Tribune to
William E. Dargie, a former student of
California State University. He soon secured wire service dispatch's from the
Associated Press for the paper. Darige also bought Nightingill's stake, although his widow disputed the transaction having ever occurred. Under Dargie's management, the paper increased in size, circulation and influence. The Republican paper became the leading news publication in Alameda County. Dargie was a news innovator in several ways: 1876, wire service dispatches; 1877, a book and job department added; 1878, when the Bell Telephone System arrived in Oakland, one of the first telephones was installed at the
Tribune- Number 46; 1883, a Saturday edition was introduced; 1887, special editions; 1888, an extra for the presidential election. On August 28, 1891, the name
The Oakland Tribune was officially adopted. Prior names include
Oakland Daily Tribune, the
Oakland Evening Tribune and the
Oakland Daily Evening Tribune. Dargie had news offices in New York and Chicago. Dargie also acquired a patent approved R. Hoe & Co. double cylinder press. In the early 1900s, Dargie hired a one-eyed lensman Jack Gunin, making him probably the first full-time
photojournalist in the
Western United States.
Tribune Tower, an Oakland landmark, was completed in 1923. The Tribune moved its business into the tower in 1924.
The Tribune Publishing Corporation, was founded by Knowland on January 4, 1928. The publishing corporation held interests in
KLX, part owner of a paper mill in Tacoma, Washington and subsidiary businesses, U-Bild, Tower Graphics and Tribune Features, Inc. In the mid-1930s, J.R. tied in with the Associated Press Wirephoto Service. He had a direct wire link for international news from London, England. The mast head logo, which became an icon of the paper, showed Oakland, a port to the world and nation. The logo changed with the times: the Tower, transport ship and steam locomotive; in later years, the Tower, the
Bay Bridge, larger transport ship, diesel engine, the china clipper and later, a jet airplane. On September 1, 1950, the
Tribune became the sole Oakland daily newspaper, with the demise of its competitor,
William Randolph Hearst's
Oakland Post Enquirer. In 1960, Joseph R. Knowland's son, former
U.S. Senator William F. Knowland (1908–1974), was named editor; he had shared being assistant publisher with his brother, Joseph Russell "Russ" Knowland, Jr. (1901–1961), since 1933. Russ Knowland's 1961 death made his brother Bill sole successor to their father. On February 1, 1966, Joseph R. Knowland died at the age of 92. William F. Knowland was appointed president and publisher. His son, Joseph William Knowland became vice-president and general manager. Bill Knowland added to the logo,
A Responsible Metropolitan Newspaper. The Senator had assumed duties as the
Tribunes publisher and editor. He became the president of
The Tribune Publishing Corporation. Under Bill Knowland's ownership, the
Tribune had a
conservative editorial position and a reputation for being strongly pro-business. As the city of Oakland became more ethnically and politically diverse in the 1960s and 1970s, the Tribune was unable to respond quickly enough to the demographic changes (and the political and social unrest exemplified, among other factors, by the
University of California, Berkeley,
student uprisings and the
Black Panther movement). The
Tribunes readership declined after the early 1960s as a large portion of the paper's traditional subscription base relocated to the newly developing suburbs south and east of Oakland. In southern
Alameda County, the readership went to Floyd Sparks's
The (Hayward) Daily Review and in
Contra Costa County to
Dean Lesher's
Contra Costa Times. In 1973, Bill Knowland wrote in
Fortune magazine, "Any city needs a means of communication between the diverse members of its community. Communication is essential." Bill Knowland's personal life would soon affect the
Oakland Tribune. Two days after the
Tribune celebrated its 100th anniversary on February 21, 1974, William F. Knowland committed suicide. On the death of their father, Joseph William Knowland (1930-2019), became the
Tribunes editor and publisher; Emelyn K. Jewett (1929–1988) became president of
The Tribune Publishing Corporation. The California Press Association honored Joseph W. Knowland, as the winner of the 1975,
Publisher of the Year award. This honor was bestowed on Joe Knowland for his progressive innovations in the operations and makeup of the newspaper.
CCC, Gannett and Maynard In 1977, the Knowland Family sold the
Oakland Tribune for $15.8 million to Combined Communications Corporation of Arizona, which owned
The Cincinnati Enquirer, seven television stations, six radio stations and 10 outdoor advertising companies.
Karl Eller was president and CEO of the company, which merged with
Gannett in June 1979. That October,
Robert C. Maynard was then hired as the
Tribune's first African-American editor. A month later Gannett CEO
Allen H. Neuharth launched
East Bay Today, a morning edition of the
Tribune, an afternoon paper, and was sold at only retailers in Oakland. The pilot project served as an early prototype of Gannett's later national paper
USA Today. The
Tribune was merged into
East Bay Today in September 1982. Around that time Gannett purchased
KRON-TV. The company then had due sell the Tribune as federal anti-trust laws made it illegal to own a television station and a newspaper in the same geographical market. In 1983, Gannet sold the paper to Maynard and his wife
Nancy Hicks Maynard for $22 million. At that time the paper had a circulation of 174,000. Maynard used the real estate assets of the
Tribune as collateral for a $17 million loan from Gannett used to fund the purchase. The deal was the first management-led
leveraged buyout of a newspaper in the United States. The
Tribune faced financial difficulties and was close to shuttering. In 1991, the
Freedom Forum, a nonprofit founded by Neuharth, agreed to provide the paper the means to wipe out its $31.5 million debt owed to Gannett, in addition to funds to help cover operating expenses. It was the first time in the nation a nonprofit organization bailed out a major for-profit publication.
MediaNews Group Circulation continued to decline and Maynard, then age 55, soon began a series of radiation treatments for
prostate cancer. In 1992, the Maynards sold the
Tribune for $10 million to
Alameda Newspaper Group, a subsidiary of the
Denver-based
MediaNews Group. Around 380 employees were laid off.
Tribune Tower, the paper's office, was not included in the sale. In 2006, ANG's name was changed to Bay Area News Group after the acquisition of
The Mercury News and
Contra Costa Times from
McClatchy Co. In 2007, the
Tribune permanently moved out of Tribune Tower to new offices on Oakport Street. In 2011, BANG announced a plan to merge the
Tribune with other sister East Bay newspapers, but on October 27, 2011, BANG announced that it would retain
The Oakland Tribune masthead. In 2012, the
Tribune moved its offices to 1970 Broadway in Oakland's Uptown district. On April 4, 2016, the last daily edition of the
Tribune was published as it was combined with other BANG-owned East Bay papers the
Contra Costa Times,
Hayward Daily Review and
Fremont Argus, The Alameda Journal under the new
East Bay Times nameplate. ==Pulitzer Prizes==