Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Early chess editors of the Chicago Tribune (Part One)

The Daily Chicago Tribune of Jan 26, 1913 quotes the American Chess Bulletin, who had printed an appreciation of the late chess editor of the Tribune Louis Uedemann, who had died the previous November:

" A few data concerning the chess department of The Chicago Tribune  will be in order at this time. It is one of the oldest in the country, though we have been unable to ascertain it's exact age. Henry F. Lee, the new editor, recalls that it appeared as early as 1880. From a scrapbook of Mr. Uedemann's it would appear that he began to edit the column on Jan. 6, 1901. retiring for awhile Mr. Uedemann was succeeded by the late Sidney P. Johnston also one of the strongest players Chicago has produced. Johnston's last column appeared on March 19, 1905 the very day he died. Emil Kemeny, who had removed from Philadelphia to Chicago, then conducted the department until November of that year. Serious illness compelled the Hungarian expert to relinquish the burden, which in turn assumed temporarily by Mrs Frank W. Lynn, who will be remembered as a participant in the first national women's tournament in New York.
   Mrs. Lynn occupied the editorial chair from Nov. 26, 1905, until Jan. 28 following, when Kemeny resumed for a short time. The latter went to Europe and on March 11, 1906, Uedemann was again called to the helm, which he held steadily until the time of his death. All of which merely goes to show that the management of the "Tribune" has been at pains to cater to wants of chess players among whom it is known to have a large following."

Was Mrs. Frank Lynn the earliest female editor of a chess column in a major metropolitan newspaper?

Image, Source: original negative 
Louis Uedemann Photo 1904
SDN-002332, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago History Museum. 


Image, Source: original negative 
Sidney P. Johnston Photo 1904
SDN-002426, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago History Museum.  



Image, Source: original negative
Emil Kemeny 
Photo 1904
SDN-002694, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago History Museum.  

Image, Source: original negative  
Mrs. Frank W. Lynn 
Photo 1906
SDN-004627, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago History Museum.

Image, Source: original negative 
Harry F. Lee 
Photo 1906  
SDN-004610, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago History Museum.  

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