Franklin Schurz

1971

Franklin Dunn Schurz, newspaper executive, editor and publisher was born on March 8, 1898 in South Bend, Indiana. He married Martha Montgomery, September 11, 1929 and they had four children: Franklin D., Scott Clark, James M., and Mary.

Schurz attended Harvard College and received his A.B. in 1920. In 1921, he graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration with an M.B.A.

From 1921 to 1923, he worked as an accountant and junior associate at the Food Research Institute of Stanford University. In 1924, he gained employment as an accountant with the South Bend Tribune and for the next fifty-one years remained with the Tribune in various positions of leadership. He served as vice president from 1926 to 1976, as secretary of treasury and business manager from 1946 to 1954, as general manger from 1954 to 1964, as editor and publisher from 1954 to 1972, as president from 1957 to 1975, and was chairman of the board from 1975 to 1976.

In 1976, Schurz became chairman of the board of Schurz Communications Incorporated. He is a past president of the Inland Daily Press Association and was the first vice president of the Associated Press. From 1936 to 1946, Schurz was the station manager of WSBT in South Bend. He was a member of the Board of American Newspaper Publishers Association from 1952 until 1960. From 1950 to 1953, he served as director of the Hoosier State Press Association and was the recipient of the University of Minnesota Award for distinguished service in journalism in 1959. Schurz is an honorary Doctor of Law at Indiana University, University of Notre Dame and St. Mary’s College.

Schurz is also a member of the American Institute of C.P.A.s, the American Society of Newspaper Editors, the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame, and Sigma Delta Chi.