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Washington Post Group: Landmarks

Table of contents

Landmarks

Landmarks

This chronology is indicative only. It covers -

Antecedents

1877 Washington Post founded by Stilson Hutchins. Hutchins later becomes major investor in Mergenthaler typesetting technology

1887 J Gordon Bennett Jr launches Paris edition of NY Herald

1889 Hutchins sells Post to Frank Hatton

1905 John McLean, owner of the Cincinnati Enquirer, buys Post

1916 playboy Edward (Ned) McLean becomes sole owner/publisher

1933 financier Eugene Meyer buys ailing Post for US$825,000

The Grahams

1946 Phil Graham, husband of Eugene Meyer's daughter Katharine, becomes publisher

1946 Meyer becomes first president of the World Bank

1948 buys controlling stake in Washington radio station WTOP

1950 buys Washington's CBS television station, which becomes WTOP-TV

1953 buys Jacksonville tv station WMBR (becomes WJXT in 1958)

1954 buys Washington Times-Herald for US$10m

1959 Meyer dies, Phil Graham becomes president of company

1961 buys Newsweek magazine

1962 establishes joint news service with LA Times

Expansion

1963 Katherine Graham becomes president of company on death of husband

1963 buys 49% of Bowater Mersey Paper Company in Nova Scotia

1966 buys 85% of Robinson Terminal Warehouse in Alexandria

1966 buys stake in the New York Herald-Tribune's Paris edition from Whitney Communications

1967 with NY Times and Whitney launches International Herald Tribune, subsequently jointly owned with NY Times

1969 buys ABC-affiliated television station in Miami (WPLG-TV)

1971 Washington Post Company goes public

1971 Post prints first story on the Pentagon Papers

1971 donates WTOP-FM radio station to Howard University

1972 Post reports on Watergate

1974 buys WFSB-TV in Hartford

1977 sells remaining radio station, WTOP-AM

1978 buys The Herald, daily newspaper in Everett commuter belt north of Seattle

1978 swaps WTOP-TV in Washington for WDIV-TV in Detroit

1979 Mrs Graham steps down as publisher of the Post in favour of son Donald

1983 Post begins National Weekly edition

1984 buys Kaplan Inc., a provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools, and businesses, for US$45m

1984 buys 33% stake in SportsChannel regional sports networks with CBS

1985 buys 28% of Cowles

1986 buys Cable One cable systems from Capital Cities/ABC, subsequently expanded throughout US western, midwestern and southern states

Second generation

1991 Donald succeeds mother as chief executive officer of Washington Post Co.

1991 Post and NY Times buy Whitney stake in International Herald Tribune

1992 buys The Gazette group of regional newspapers and printing interests

1993 Donald becomes chairman of the board

1994 buys KPRC-TV, NBC affiliate in Houston, and KSAT-TV, ABC affiliate in San Antonio

1997 swaps WCPX-TX in Orlando for WFSB-TV in Hartford

1997 sells stake in Bear Island Paper Company and Bear Island Timberlands

1998 sells 14 small cable tv systems in Texas, Missouri and Kansas (approx 29,000 subscribers) for US$41m

1999 buys Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel

1999 sells LEGI-SLATE online federal government and regulatory info services

2000 buys Quest Education Corporation, provider of post-secondary education

2000 launches Washington Techway magazine

2001 death of Katherine Graham

2002 closes Washington Techway magazine

2003 sells 50% stake in International Herald Tribune to NY Times for US$65m

2003 buys FTC Holdings (UK financial test preparation service) for £55m

2003 buys CEI Institute and CEI College (ten US campuses)

2003 buys Koppel & Wiley, provider of classroom-based Chartered Financial Analyst training programs in Europe

2003 moves Washington Post newspaper publishing business into wholly-owned subsidiary