Samuel McClure

Samuel McClure was very important in investigative journalism. McClure was born in Ireland, but moved to America not long after he was born. McClure first worked with print in college, at Knox College, where he edited his student newspaper. After he graduated from college he founded a magazine that focused on the bicycle craze- this magazine was called Wheelman. He then moved to New York City. In the late 1800s he established the first US newspaper syndicate, the McClure Syndicate, that serialized books and sold literary works to newspapers.

McClure's second magazine, McClure's Magazine was co-founded and run by him in the late 1800s to the early 1900s. His paper began as a literary and historical journal, but later became the nation's leading muckraker. McClure ran his newspaper differently than people in his time- rather than expect and require articles to be completed virtually immediately, he gave his journalists more time to do research on what they were writing. This magazine published articles that were influential by respected authors and journalists. McClure's Magazine came to an end because of health and financial reasons, as well as his temper leading writers to leave his paper. One of McClure's greatest contributions, appearing in this paper, was in his publishing of Dr. Maria Montessori's teaching methods, which are now used in the education system.

Outside sources: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAmcclure.htm