Louis B. Seltzer

Louis Benson Seltzer (September 19, 1897 – April 2, 1980) was an American journalist who was editor-in-chief of the Cleveland Press, a now-defunct daily newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1928 until his retirement in 1966. As editor of the Press, Seltzer became one of the most powerful and most well-known citizens of Cleveland, earning the nickname "Mr. Cleveland". Under Seltzer's leadership, the Press gained the largest circulation of any newspaper in Ohio and cultivated a reputation as a "fighting paper" that "fought like hell for the people".

As editor of the Press, Seltzer emphasized the public service aspect of the paper and "vigorously developed the notion that his reporters were watchdogs for the public over political and governmental affairs". He also gained a reputation as a "kingmaker" for his successful sponsorship of numerous local politicians, including Cleveland mayors Anthony Celebrezze and Frank J. Lausche, who later became governor of Ohio and a United States Senator. Seltzer was the subject of both glowing praise and harsh criticism, particularly for his extensive coverage of the trial of Sam Sheppard.

Early life and career Seltzer was born on September 19, 1897, in Cleveland, Ohio, on the west bank of the Cuyahoga River. Seltzer's father, Charles Alden Seltzer, was "a frequently unemployed carpenter and a totally unsuccessful writer of romantic short stories". The family lived in poverty during Seltzer's early years; when Seltzer was 12 and in the sixth grade, he dropped out of school to work as an office boy at The Cleveland Leader. Although his father started to earn money as a writer about a year later, by then Seltzer was successful enough at his own job that he refused to quit and return to school. However, Seltzer felt he lacked the experience for the position and resigned after three months, switching to the role of political editor. During his editorship of the Press, Seltzer became one of the most well-known and most powerful people in the city, and cultivated a reputation as an advocate for its readers. Seltzer described the Press under his leadership as a "fighting paper" that "fought like hell for the people". More recently, Seltzer has received both unfettered praise, and some criticism for his handling of certain stories, particularly the Sheppard trial. The stream of editorials began with the July 20 article "Somebody Is Getting Away With Murder", written by Seltzer himself. The United States Supreme Court ruled on June 6, 1966, in Sheppard v. Maxwell that Sheppard did not receive a fair trial because of the negative publicity he received in the press. F. Lee Bailey, one of Sheppard's lawyers, later wrote that "Seltzer used his newspaper like a club, ordering politicians around like minions and intimidating everyone who disagreed with him. If Seltzer was roused, he would spread a personally penned editorial across eight columns of his newspaper, seeking to grind some unfortunate dissident under his heel".

Seltzer defended the Cleveland Press and his own personal involvement in the case in his 1956 memoir The Years Were Good. Seltzer argued that he was convinced the Sheppard family was involved in a conspiracy to get away with murder and that he personally wrote the editorials, instead of passing them off to one of his employees, out of concern for the safety of his staff.

Later life and death Seltzer published his memoir, The Years Were Good, in 1956. Seltzer died in his daughter's house on April 2, 1980, at the age of 82. Seltzer's living relatives at the time of his death included his daughter, two siblings, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild. His son, Chester E. Seltzer, who was also a journalist and writer, had died in 1971.