Published by The Evansville Courier

"Things were changing for newspapers across the country at that time," explained local historian and author Darrel Bigham.

"There was a general growth of political independence during the turn of the century and the corporate structure of newspapers was changing as well. Competition with radio - and later television - also pushed newspapers to take a less partisan approach to their work."

The death of Courier owner and Democratic mayor Benjamin Bosse in 1922 and the appointment of Don Scism as editor in 1924 brought about permanent changes in The Courier's approached to politics, Bigham said. "The paper became more independent - and quite liberal - when Scism was editor. Historically a Democratic paper, The Courier could not have been described as liberal at all before that time," he said.

Scism is remembered for changing the racial tone of The Courier and for his editorial stand against Hitler. Courier readers witnessed the editor's bold political sparring in 1929 when Scism helped defeat Republican Mayor Herbert Males, who had the Ku Klux Klan's support in his bid for renomination.

Scism and his wife were killed in an automobile accident in 1954, two months after he retired from his 30-year run as editor of The Courier.

Ed J. Fehn became general manager of The Courier the same year Scism became editor. He too took a stand for civil rights and against corruption and injustice.

A self-made man who started with The Courier as an errand boy in 1899, Fehn acquired majority interest of the paper in 1939 and held it until his retirement in 1952.

The Courier's circulation tripled to 60,000 under the leadership of Fehn and Scism.