Remember When: Local boy earned a Pulitzer Prize!
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Readers “met” the family of Arlow F. Mowery, a Lancaster brick mason and architect, Feb. 12, 2023 on this page. Arlow and Nellie’s first child, Edward Joseph Mowery, was born March 8, 1906 between the time his father laid brick for the new Methodist Church in 1905 and laid brick for St. Mary’s new convent in 1908. Edward was one of 15 students to graduate from St. Mary’s High School in June 1923. The Daily Eagle announced the family’s move to Columbus Aug. 2, 1924. He attended OSU and University of Notre Dame where (perhaps at his father’s suggestion) he majored in architectural design. “The Depression years were bad for architecture, however, and in 1932 Mr. Mowery started a weekly suburban newspaper, The Eastern News in Columbus, Ohio, which he sold at a profit in three years,” stated NYT (21 Dec. 1970).
Returning to Lancaster, the first article by Edward J. Mowery published in the Daily Eagle appeared December 8, 1934. It was an “investigative report” of B. I. S. His first daily column, “Town Talk,” appeared Dec. 11, 1934 on the editorial page where he was simply identified with “By E. J. M.”
When this column appeared Dec. 27, 1934, it included his first “Daily Bouquet.” It recognized W. C. Rice, hero of a Canadian train wreck. The recipients of daily bouquets became the talk of the town. First featured were Edith Baumgardner, librarian; Curtis L. Berry, Supt. of Schools; and Governor George White. By June 1935 all 139 recipients who had been recognized in print began to receive membership cards delivered by the Postal Telegraph Co. Mowery received suggestions from all over the state for residents worthy of receiving a “bouquet.” He then received national publicity for “the most unique club ever sponsored by an American newspaper.”
Mowery became editor of the Lancaster Eagle in January 1936, and on March 11, 1936 the first issue of the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette was published. The Lancaster Eagle and the Gazette papers had merged. After supervising “the largest newspaper ever published in Fairfield County” on Nov. 19, 1936 (it was the 131st anniversary of Lancaster), Mowery made national news for his stand on printing “news, not gossip” regarding King Edward’s romance.
E. J. Mowery resigned his position with the E-G to next accept a position with the King Features Syndicate of New York. In 1942 he joined the World-Telegram and Sun newspaper and in 1945 he helped free Bertram M. Campbell from prison after he had been convicted of forgery due to mistaken identity.
“Dope—It’s Menacing Our Youth” was a Mowery article that appeared in Look Magazine in 1951. His series of magazine articles on the rise of narcotics addiction also earned him the American Legion citation for patriotism and the Society of Silurians annual award in 1951 for “exposing and eliminating” narcotic drug traffic among youth.
Mowery became an investigative journalist who spent months that became years researching and writing. His work received national publicity. “On New York’s World-Telegram and Sun, Edward J. Mowery, 46, is known as a single-minded reporter who never lets go of a story once he gets hold of it,” reported Time Magazine (24 Nov. 1952). This Time article describes how a letter from Louis Hoffner caught Mowery’s attention. It stated Mowery wrote more than 60 articles about the case, and “After six years of having the state turn down all appeals, Mowery went again to the district attorney’s office with the complete evidence…and across the top of page one in the World -Telegram and Sun, was a banner headline on Mowery’s triumph: JUSTICE AFTER 12 LONG YEARS. HOFFNER LIFE TERM SET ASIDE.”
In 1953 two Pulitzer awards were given for local news reporting. Edward J. Mowery received the one given for “initiative and resourcefulness and constructive purpose in a story developed by a reporter.” He received $1000 and the gold medal went to World -Telegram and Sun.
Mowery had married Margaret J. Ryan (1905-1989) in Columbus on Feb. 26, 1938, and they made NYC their home. A daughter and two sons were born to the couple. Tragically, their sons Michael 18 and William 17 drowned while swimming in Lake George, NY in Aug. 1958.
Edward Joseph Mowery died at 64 on Dec. 19, 1970 in New York. Lancaster should proudly remember Mowery and his work to right wrongs and fight corruption.
Readers may contact Harvey at joycelancastereg@gmail.com
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Remember When: Local boy earned a Pulitzer Prize!
