Paul Y. Anderson
Paul Y. Anderson was an influential American journalist born in the late 19th century. He started his career at a young age, working for the Knoxville Journal before gaining prominence at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, where he covered significant events, including the East St. Louis race riots. Anderson's investigative prowess shone through when he exposed the Teapot Dome oil-lease scandal, which played a crucial role in bringing to light government corruption during the Harding administration and ultimately contributed to legal consequences for those involved. His reporting earned him the Pulitzer Prize for Reporting in 1929 and established his reputation as a significant figure in journalism. Throughout the 1920s, he tackled high-profile stories, including the Scopes "Monkey Trial," and also shared his liberal viewpoints through a column in The Nation magazine. However, the pressures of fame and personal struggles with alcoholism took a toll on his life, leading to the end of two marriages and his eventual separation from his third wife. In 1938, after a series of professional setbacks, Anderson tragically took his own life. His story reflects both the impact of journalistic integrity and the personal challenges that can accompany a career in high-stakes reporting.
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Subject Terms
Paul Y. Anderson
Nonfiction Writer
- Born: August 29, 1893
- Birthplace: Knoxville, Tennessee
- Died: December 6, 1938
Biography
Paul Y. Anderson was born at the end of the nineteenth century. His father was a stonecutter who died when Anderson was three years old. When Anderson was old enough, he helped support the family by delivering newspapers and telegrams. Anderson began his career as a reporter at age eighteen, working for the Knoxville Journal. In 1914, he started writing for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He gained early recognition there for his cover of the race riots in East St. Louis, Illinois. However, Anderson left the Post-Dispatch in 1923 and became a freelance writer in Washington, D.C.
During this time, Anderson’s most significant work was exposing the Teapot Dome oil-lease scandal of the Harding administration, where corrupt government officials illegally offered the rights to oil drilling in Wyoming without competitive bidding. At the time, a congressional investigation had stalled and no significant charges had been brought against those involved, but Anderson’s reporting contributed to jail time for those exposed in the graft when Congress reopened its abandoned inquiry. As a result of his work, Anderson was rehired by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 1924. Throughout the 1920’s, Anderson continued to cover many high-profile stories including the Scopes “Monkey Trial.”
His reporting on the Teapot Dome scandal earned Anderson the Pulitzer Prize for Reporting in 1929. Because of this and his coverage of high profile stories, Anderson earned a great deal of fame as a journalist. In addition to writing for the Post- Dispatch, Anderson wrote a column for The Nation magazine, in which he voiced his liberal views on the current issues.
In the 1930’s, the strain of Anderson’s fame and increased activity in reporting began to show. Two of his marriages ended in divorce; Anderson and his third wife separated soon after their marriage. He sough treatment for his alcoholism and he lost his job at the Post-Dispatch. Anderson was able to gain a position at the Post-Dispatch’s rival, the St. Louis-Star Times, but he continued on a downward spiral. In 1938, Anderson committed suicide by taking an overdose of sleeping pills.