William Rule

Early life

Rule was born in rural Knox County, Tennessee, about south of Knoxville, the son of Frederick and Sarah (Brakebill) Rule. He occasionally attended county schools, but was largely self-educated. In 1858, Rule and his brother, James, opened a general store at the corner of State Street and Cumberland Avenue in Knoxville. By 1860, this store had closed, and William joined the staff of Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, a radical and controversial pro-Union newspaper. Rule eventually fled to Kentucky and enlisted in Company A of the 6th Tennessee Infantry. directing a company, before he was mustered out in 1865.

Post-war years After the war, Rule rejoined the Whig, this time serving as the paper's City Editor. He was elected to his first political office, Knox County Court Clerk, in 1866, and was reelected in 1870, but resigned after one year.

Controversies During the 1880s, the Chronicle quarreled with the pro-Democratic Knoxville Tribune. On the morning of March 11, 1882, the Chronicle featured an article accusing the Tribune of publishing obscene material. That evening, James W. Wallace, editor of the Tribune, angrily accosted Rule on Gay Street, and demanded he issue a retraction. When Rule refused, Wallace proceeded to loudly issue a "formal denunciation" of Rule. As Wallace spoke, Rule bashed him over the head with a cane, whereupon Wallace drew a pistol and fired three shots, all of which missed. Both Wallace and Rule were arrested, but no charges were filed, and each of the editors blamed the other for the incident.

On January 29, 1888, the Rule family was involved in another violent incident in Knoxville. After the Journal published an article questioning the competence of Dr. A. T. West, who had been appointed city physician by the Board of Aldermen, West's sons, John and William, confronted Rule's brother, James (an editor for the Journal), outside St. John's Episcopal Church, and demanded he reveal the article's author. When Rule refused, the Wests attacked him. Rule was shot through the wrist and stabbed before he managed to draw a pistol and fire blindly, killing John West. he was described as having been the "oldest active editor in the U.S." by Time magazine. Rule is buried with his family in Old Gray Cemetery.

Legacy

In the 1870s, Adolph Ochs began his newspaper career at Rule's Chronicle as a "printer's devil." He later became publisher of the New York Times. Ochs's biographer suggests that Ochs harbored superstitions about cemeteries, and as his walk home passed the First Presbyterian Church Cemetery, he often stayed at the Chronicle office all night, and passed the time learning the printer's trade.

Rule's grandson, Gunby Rule, worked as an editor for the Journal and later the News-Sentinel into the latter half of the 20th century.

A house built by Rule at 1604 Clinch Avenue in the Fort Sanders neighborhood is now classified as a contributing property within the National Register of Historic Places-listed Fort Sanders Historic District.

Rule High School, named after William Rule, operated in Knoxville from 1927 until 1991.