Charles Samuel Jackson (September 15, 1860 – December 27, 1924) was a prominent newspaper publisher in the U.S. state of Oregon. Jackson owned the East Oregonian from 1882 to 1913, developing it into a successful regional paper. He also founded and published Oregon Journal, which in over 22 years, he turned it into a "strong voice of the Oregon Country" and a rival of state's newspaper, The Oregonian. Author George Stanley Turnbull described Jackson as "a character which has been one of the most influential in the history of Oregon journalism."

Early life

Charles Samuel Jackson was born on September 15, 1860, on his father's plantation in Deltaville, Virginia. The job paid $10 a week. Jackson's father, thinking the wage too low, in a letter wrote "Don't take the money; you're not worth it." Guyer was a silent partner while Jackson managed all aspects of the business. At the same time Jackson kept working his stage job until the railroad reached Pendleton in 1884 and the line was discontinued. Jackson expanded from semi-weekly to daily, except Sunday, on March 1, 1888. Author George Stanley Turnbull wrote "The little Journal was unimpressive in those few months when it was struggling merely to keep alive." On July 23, 1902, Jackson, of the Eastern Oregonian, bought the Journal for a few thousands dollars. He changed the name to The Oregon Journal.</blockquote>Few at the time believed the Journal could be a success. Jackson started with a second-hand press and 5,000 subscribers. He soon recruited journalists like Fred Lockley, who said Jackson in a letter to him wrote: "Fight for the right but not on lines of prejudice, revenge, or malice. To win, you must be bigger in mind and courage in every way than the other fellow. People like a fighting paper, a paper with a conscience - one that will fight for better conditions." and in 29129 the school constructed a building called Sam Jackson Hall.

In 1943, the SS Sam Jackson, a Liberty ship the late-publisher's widow sponsored and named in his honor, was launched.

In 1951, the former home of The Oregon Journal in downtown Portland, was renamed Jackson Tower in his honor.

Footnotes

Further reading

  • Marshall N. Dana, Newspaper Story: Fifty Years of the Oregon Journal, 1902-1952 (Dust jacket title: The First Fifty Years of the Oregon Journal: A Newspaper Story). Portland: Binfords and Mort, 1951.
  • Oregon Newspaper Hall of Fame page
  • The Jackson Foundation, Portland, Oregon