Francis Pharcellus Church

Francis Pharcellus Church ( born February 22, 1839 in Rochester (New York), † April 11, 1906 in New York City ) was an American publisher and editor. As a journalist, he answered the sensitive question of the child Virginia O'Hanlon of the reader's letter to the existence of Santa Claus so convincing that the response is reprinted worldwide today.

Life

Francis P. Church was the son of a Baptist minister. His father Pharcellus was also a journalist and founded "The New York Chronicle ".

Francis graduated in 1859 from Columbia College of Columbia University in New York City. During the Civil War he worked as a correspondent for the " New York Times ".

With his brother William Conant Church he founded after 1863 "The Army and Navy Journal" and 1866, the monthly magazine " The Galaxy ". As "The Atlantic Monthly " took over the magazine, was editor of Church and leading anonymous Leitartikelverfasser in his brother, the New York Sun newspaper. Here he wrote his most famous 1897 editorial on the question Is there a Santa Claus? , The "Claus Yes Virginia, there is a Santa " resulted in the clear answer.

Church was buried in " Sleepy Hollow Cemetery " in Sleepy Hollow ( New York). He was a member of the "Century Association " and had no children.

Editorial

Francis P. Church, a sardonic man, had his personal motto, " Endeavour to clear your mind of cant " ( "Be anxious your mind of hypocrisy indemnify "). If controversial, especially theological issues had to be dealt with on the editorial page, he took over this task normally.

The answer to a letter from the then eight- year-old Virginia O'Hanlon to the question of whether there is a Santa Claus, first published in the issue dated 21 September 1897, reprinted soon legendary and then every year at Christmas time on page 1 of the New York Sun until the newspaper in 1950 hired their appearance. Leaves in the world continued the tradition continued after that.

Only after his death broke the "Sun" with its principle of editorial anonymity in editorials and divulged that Church had written this editorial.