Warren G Harding The Marion Daily Star

How a committed journalist transformed a small town daily newspaper—and how that editorial success inspired his policies as President of the United States. President Warren G. Harding’s thirty-nine-year career as a newspaperman is often treated as a footnote. This book offers a unique approach to the Harding story, presenting him as he saw himself: as a newspaperman. His political successes were based on the thinking of a newspaper editor—balancing all of the facets of an issue, examining the facts and weighing the effect on the constituents. Even his approach to balancing the federal budget was built on early experience at his small, struggling newspaper, where his motto was: “All paid in, all paid out, books even.” The only member of the Fourth Estate to enter the White House, Harding found his voice through the pages of the Marion Daily Star. Author Sheryl Smart Hall offers an intimate view of the man, often as seen through the eyes of those who knew him best—his co-workers at the Star. Includes photos

President Warren G. Harding's thirty-nine-year career as a newspaperman is often treated as a footnote. This book offers a unique approach to the Harding story, presenting him as he saw himself: as a newspaperman. His political successes were based on the thinking of a newspaper editor--balancing all of the facets of an issue, examining the facts and weighing the effect on the constituents. Even his approach to balancing the federal budget was built on early experience at his small, struggling newspaper, where his motto was: All paid in, all paid out, books even." The only member of the Fourth Estate to enter the White House, Harding found his voice through the pages of the "Marion Daily Star." Author Sheryl Smart Hall offers an intimate view of the man, often as seen through the eyes of those who knew him best--his co-workers at the "Star."

One of the last remaining atmospheric theatres in the nation, elegant Marion Palace Theatre holds a storied history behind its curtains. From the "Wigwam," the Grand Opera House and Germania Park Pavilion to nickelodeons, vaudeville houses and movie theatres, performance has been an essential part of Marion's history, and the Palace is the city's jewel. Designed by renowned theatre architect John Eberson, the Palace opened its doors in 1928 to packed audiences of over three thousand patrons. Author Scott L. Hoffman delves into the life and work of John Eberson and the forgotten stories of the Palace that include a police gambling raid, the construction of the theatre and the stars who performed for dazzled audiences there.

"Presidents are ranked wrong. In The Jazz Age President: Defending Warren G. Harding, Ryan Walters mounts a case that Harding deserves to move up—and supplies the evidence to make that case strong. -Amity Shlaes, bestselling author of Coolidge He's the butt of political jokes, frequently subjected to ridicule, and almost never absent a "Worst Presidents" list where he most often ends up at the bottom. Historians have labeled him the "Worst President Ever," "Dead Last," "Unfit," and "Incompetent," to name but a few. Many contemporaries were equally cruel. H. L. Mencken called him a "nitwit." To Alice Roosevelt Longworth, he was a "slob." Such is the current reputation of our 29th President, Warren Gamaliel Harding. In an interesting survey in 1982, which divided the scholarly respondents into "conservative" and "liberal" categories, both groups picked Harding as the worst President. But historian Ryan Walters shows that Harding, a humble man from Marion, Ohio, has been unfairly remembered. He quickly fixed an economy in depression and started the boom of the Roaring Twenties, healed a nation in the throes of social disruption, and reversed America’s interventionist foreign policy.

Rich in history and steeped in blue-collar values, Marion, Ohio, is much like any midwestern city, aside from its abundance of ghouls and unexplained phenomena. From well-known landmarks like the mysterious Merchant Ball to largely forgotten locales like the Quarry Street Cemetery, Joshua Simpkins of Spookymarion.com takes readers on a delightful journey through Marion's bizarre history and hauntings. Was President Harding's death forecast by the First Lady's squawking finch--its feathered form now stuffed and encased in the Harding Home--on the eve of the president's ill fated trip to Alaska? Dare to visit the Mongoloid House or see what goes bump at the empty downtown YMCA. Revisit Marion's urban legends and discover little-known ghouls that deserve to be heard.