William Dickson Boyce (June 16, 1858 - June 11, 1929) is a newspaper man, a businessman, a magazine publisher, and an American explorer. He is the founder of the short-lived Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and Lone Scouts of America (LSA). Born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, she gained love for the outdoors early in her life. After working as a school teacher and coal miner, Boyce followed Wooster Academy in Ohio before moving to the Midwest and Canada. A clever businessman, Boyce managed to set up several newspapers, such as The Commercial in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Lisbon Clipper in Lisbon, North Dakota. Together with his first wife, Mary Jane Beacom, he moved to Chicago to pursue entrepreneurial ambitions. There he founded the Mutual Newspaper Publishing Company and the weekly Saturday blade , which serves rural audiences and is distributed by thousands of newspaper boys. With the new job of newsboys to increase newspaper sales, Boyce's publishing company retains a circulation of 500,000 copies per week in 1894. Boyce strongly supports workers 'rights, as demonstrated by his business support from the union and his attention to his womens' welfare children.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Boyce has become a multi-millionaire and has taken a step back from his business to pursue his interests in civil affairs, devoting more time to traveling and participating in the expedition. In 1909, he embarked on a two-month trip to Europe and a major photography expedition to Africa with photographer George R. Lawrence and cartoonist John T. McCutcheon. Over the next two decades, Boyce led an expedition to South America, Europe, and North Africa, where he visited the newly discovered tomb of King Tutankhamun.
Boyce learned about Scouting while passing through London during his first expedition to Africa in 1909. According to a somewhat fictional legend, Boyce had been lost in the thick fog of London, but was guided back to his destination by a young boy, who told him that he was only doing his duties as a Boy Scout. Boyce then read the print material on Scouting, and upon his return to the United States, he formed the B.S.A.
From the beginning, Boyce focused the Scouting program on teaching self-reliance, citizenship, resources, patriotism, obedience, joy, courage, and decency in order to "make men." After a clash with the Scout program along with Chief Scout Executive James E. West, he left B.S.A. and founded L.S.A. in January 1915, serving rural boys with limited opportunities to form troops or patrols.
In June 1924, five years before Boyce's death, the merger was completed between B.S.A. and the struggle of L.S.A. Boyce received many awards and warnings for his efforts in the US Scouting movement, including the famous "Silver Buffalo Award".
Video William D. Boyce
Personal and family life
Boyce was born on June 16, 1858 in New Texas, Pennsylvania - now Plum Borough - to Presbyterian farmers, David and Margaret Jane Bratton Boyce. The Boyces has three children: William Dickson, Mary, and John. During his childhood in the countryside, Boyce gained love for the outdoors. He started teaching school at the age of 16 and then worked briefly as a coal miner. He resumed teaching before joining his sister at Wooster Academy in Ohio, which - according to school records - he attended 1880-1881. It is uncertain whether he graduated or was expelled.
He then worked as a teacher, tree-lumber, secretary, and salesman in the Midwest and Canada before settling in Chicago, where he was quickly recognized as a persuasive and intelligent salesman and learned business quickly. His books on business, travel, and expeditions often use the phrase "We continue." On January 1, 1884, Boyce married Mary Jane Beacom (1865-1959), whom she had known since Pennsylvania's childhood. Boyce calls him Betsy, but for many his nickname is "Rattlesnake Jane" because he matches his skill in poker, an expert on shooting, and horseback riding. It also became clear that he was more masculine than Boyce himself, although he never admitted this, became clear from his journal. They have one son and two daughters: Benjamin Stevens (1884-1928), Happy (1886-1976) and Sydney (1889-1950).
Boyce's personal activities include hunting, yachting, Odd Fellows, Freemasonry, Shriners, golf, country club and Chicago Hussars - independent military riding organization.
In 1903, Boyce bought a four-story mansion on 38 hectares of land in Ottawa, Illinois, which became the center of his family and social activities. After that, he showed little interest in Chicago and his social activities; he would just go there to do business. Boyce and Mary lead an increasingly separate and eventually divorced life, reported on the front page of the Chicago Tribune for the excellence that he achieved at the time. The divorce was settled at Campbell County, South Dakota court in September 1908; the settlement of his wife's property is close to $ 1 million (USD).
After the divorce settled, Boyce went to Virginia Dorcas Lee, a vocalist from Oak Park, Illinois, 23 years younger than him and Virginia's firstborn and John Adams Lee, former Missouri Lieutenant Governor. Both Virginia parents and Boyce's son, Ben, opposed the relationship. In May 1910, after the planned marriage was announced, an angry anger with his father outside the Blackstone Hotel and Boyce suffered face injuries. Ben was arrested for disorderly conduct and fined $ 5 and court fees. Two days later, Boyce and Virginia married and went to Europe on a long honeymoon. Almost immediately, there was speculation among family members and in the newspaper about issues in marriage. On April 9, 1911, Boyce and Virginia had a daughter, whom they named Virginia. A few months later, in December 1911, Boyce signed an agreement to support and educate their baby girl. After Boyce's wife filed for divorce in March 1912, she moved to Santa Barbara, California, with her daughter and parents. Boyce is not opposed to divorce and arranges a $ 100,000 settlement. Years later, the older Virginia married Richard Roberts, a New York banker, and moved with him and Boyce's daughter to Greenwich, Connecticut. Younger Virginia takes the Roberts family name. He did not meet his real father, Boyce, until he was eight years old.
Ben married Miriam Patterson of Omaha, Nebraska, on June 11, 1912. Both Boyce and his first wife attended the ceremony. At this point Boyce's first wife, Mary, exchanged some of her Chicago properties for a home in Ottawa, sparking speculation that she and Boyce might be at peace. The following year they remarried on June 14, 1913 in Ottawa. They then set out on their honeymoon to Alaska, Hawaii, the Philippines, Panama, and Cuba, with their daughter, Happy, Ben's son, and his wife, Miriam.
Maps William D. Boyce
Enterprise business
When Boyce travels, he often starts newspapers wherever he goes. His first attempt in commercial publishing was to compile a city directory. He also worked briefly for publishers in Columbus, Ohio, and a newspaper publisher in Kensington, Pennsylvania, part of Philadelphia. He then took the train to Chicago and worked as a secretary and seller for the "Western" magazine. Agitated again, he moved to Saint Paul, Minnesota, and sold ads for publishers for a short time and then spent a month in Fargo, North Dakota, and Grand Forks, North Dakota. Further north in Canada, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he and the locals James W. Steen founded The Commercial in 1881, a newspaper that lasted for 70 years. He sold his share of "The Commercial" to his colleague in 1882 and returned to Fargo where he became a reporter. In December 1882, Boyce moved to Lisbon, North Dakota, where he bought the Dakota Clipper.
Beginning in December 1884, Boyce manages a reporter and news release at the "Bureau of Correspondence" at the World Millennium Industry and Cotton Exhibition for six months in New Orleans, Louisiana. Countries from around the world sent displays. Boyce is responsible for providing news on the show and presenting to over 1,200 newspapers across the country. He returned to North Dakota after Exposition was completed, but in early 1886 he moved back to Chicago. He often returns to North Dakota to publish business and leisure deals on deer and duck hunting.
In Chicago, he founded Mutual Newspaper Publishing Company in 1886 that provided advertisements and articles to more than 200 newspapers. In 1887, he founded the weekly "Saturday Blade", a pictorial newspaper devoted to rural audiences and sold by thousands of newspapers - an innovation at the time. In 1892, Saturday Blade had the largest circulation of every weekly newspaper in the United States. Boyce's detailed report on his overseas trips provides articles for "Saturday Blade" and reprinted in a book by map atlas/publisher, Rand McNally. The success of "Saturday Blade" spawned Publishing Company W. D. Boyce, which Boyce used to buy or start several newspapers and magazines. In 1892, Boyce bought the Chicago Ledger, a fictional weekly publication. In January 1903 he founded the "Boyce Weekly International" , which advocated workers' rights. Boyce's advocacy as a supporter of the workforce attracted union workers/leaders such as John Mitchell of United Mine Workers and Henry Demarest Lloyd as writer and editor for Boyce's Weekly . Eight months later, "Weekly Boyce" is consolidated with "Saturday Blade." Boyce also founded the selected subject/topical newspaper "Farm Business" in 1914 and "Home Folks Magazine" in 1922. The underestimated sale led to the merger 1925 "Blade" and "Ledger" became monthly "Chicago Blade & Ledger" , published until 1937. When Boyce's company grew , he insisted on keeping the welfare of about 30,000 boys of instruction, which was the key to his financial success. Working with them might help him gain an understanding of American youth. Boyce felt that sending and selling newspapers taught important responsibilities to adolescents such as being polite, reading human nature, and handling money. Boyce's definition of focus is clear in the advice he gives young men: "There are many obstacles to overcome, but hard work, fortitude and resilience will help you to overcome everything. Help yourself and others help you." and "whatever trade you choose, never deviate from that goal one moment to the end".
In 1891, Boyce began working on his 12-story office building on 30 North Dearborn Street, known as the "Boyce Building", designed by architect Henry Ives Cobb. Even 20 years later, this building is recognized as the most expensive building (in terms of dollars per cubic foot) in Chicago. In 1907, Boyce consolidated his business operations into another office building, also known as the Boyce Building, at 500-510 North Dearborn Street. A new four-story office building - designed by architectural firm Daniel Burnham - was built at this location in 1912 and expanded during 1913-14 with an additional six floors. The building was later listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 29, 1996, administered by the US Department of State and its National Park Service.
At a time when women have difficulty finding work and workers are often oppressed, Boyce feels their rights are important: his business employs many women and he supports unions. The papers often contain stories of "labor aristocracy". His business was able to pay wages and benefits during Panic of 1893, a time when many businesses were laid off workers and cut wages. During Pullman Strike from Pullman Palace Car Company in 1894, which spread to 20 companies in more than half of the state, Boyce called Eugene V. Debs, the national union leader of the United States, "a great labor leader" and industrialist George Pullman, train passengers and sleeping cars, the man "who caused all the trouble" (then current disputes and social/political disputes of the 1890s). In 1901 when the Boyce Paper Manufacturing Company in Marseilles, Illinois, was burned, he immediately paid the workers and then rehired them as construction workers to rebuild the paper mills so they would not lose their income. However, he is also protective of his money. At the end of 1894, when two of his workers were injured by a falling chimney and won $ 2,000 each in court, Boyce appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court, and lost. He is also persistent in getting what he wants; in 1902, he sued the Land and Power Company of Marseilles for not supplying enough hydro power to his factory and winning $ 65,300 in judgment. In 1903, the Marseilles Land and Electric Company fell into the curator and Boyce bought the company.
Boyce hired his son, Ben, when he was 20, giving him a high-level position in his water and electricity business in and around Marseilles and Ottawa. However, their relationship is often strained by Boyce's high hopes and Ben's recklessness with funds in activities such as betting on horse races.
During June-August 1906, the government proposed doubling the postage for second class mail, which included newspapers, from one cent to four cents per pound. In response, Boyce proposed buying the Post Office Department for $ 300 million (USD), claiming that it would reduce the post-rate by half, eliminating the chronic deficit by applying business methods to postal operations, establishing rural express mailings, paying rents to the UK State Treasury for building post, and returning profits of more than seven percent. The offer was rejected by the government, but it stopped the post second class rate increase they planned.
Boyce was a multi-millionaire in the early 1900s and in 1909 became more interested in civic affairs and lacking in finance. He also began to travel, often as part of a hunting expedition. He rented hunting lodges in Fort Sisseton, South Dakota, where he was hunted as a youth. He often hosts friends and relatives, especially his son, for activities such as hunting, fishing, dinner, poker, and booze abundantly. This change may be partly due to the destruction of his home in Ottawa in early 1908, which was rebuilt, followed three months later by the sale of the Marseilles paper factory because of a new law that prevented the rail from negotiating with the shipper, and its announcement in September 1908 that he and his wife, Mary Jane, parted company.
In 1914 Boyce bought two more newspapers, "Indianapolis Sun" , which he named "" Indianapolis Daily Times ", and " Inter Ocean Farmer " Lone Scout , "Saturday Blade" and "Chicago Ledger" all focused on rural customers and began to falter Boyce launched Home Folks Magazine in an effort to regain customers In June 1925, sales had slipped so much that he merged the last two titles into "Blade and Ledger", which caused sales to rise again, prompting Boyce to start "Movie Romances" , one of the first tabloid magazines on movie star romance.
Boyce's success in the publishing business lies in his ability to manage business administration and delegate details to subordinates. He eventually accumulated a fortune of about $ 20 million USD. Boyce's life parallels Theodore Roosevelt in many ways: Both are products of the internationally-renowned Progressive Era, caring for children, supporting Scouting, adventurers and outsiders (modern environmentalists), and interested in reform civil. Although Boyce admired and tried to outrank Roosevelt, his only attempt to get into politics was in 1896 the Republican Party for US Representatives (congressman) in the US House of Representatives - a fierce campaign he defeated against the ruling George E. Foss. Most likely, Boyce met Roosevelt in the Union League Club of Chicago, where the first had been a member in 1891. His ambivalent attitude to government was one of the common from the general public during the Progressive Era. However, the Republican reputation and Boyce's monetary contribution made him invited to the newly elected president and replacement ball for "T.R.", 27th President, William Howard Taft in March 1909.
Expedition
Boyce financed Frederick Schwatka's explorers expedition to Alaska in 1896. Schwatka found gold near Nome and Boyce reported this success in his newspapers, which led him to finance other Schwatka expeditions as well as other adventurers, including a failed expedition to the Yukon River in 1898. Boyce soon began do his own expedition. When the United States entered the Spanish-American War in 1898, Boyce sailed into Cuban waters aboard Three Friends vessels. The nature of Boyce's activities and this ship is unknown.
In March 1909, Boyce embarked on a two-month journey to Europe, including a visit to his daughter, who was in Rome. On his return to America, Boyce organized a photographic expedition to Africa with the innovative air photographer George R. Lawrence. Boyce meets with organizers of safari and outfitters and provides his expeditions in London and Naples. His son Benjamin and Lawrence's son, Raymond, were part of the expedition. Cartoonist John T. McCutcheon joined the expedition as they sailed from Naples to Africa. The group was down in Mombasa, Kenya, and was in Nairobi in September. After hiring a porter and a local guide, the entire expedition amounted to about 400 people, about three quarters of whom were maids. It takes 15 train carriages to move people and equipment to the expedition area to explore nearby Kijabi and Lake Victoria. The expedition failed because telephoto lenses were not taken or later purchased, hot air balloons were not suitable for the conditions on the East African plains, and the cameras were so large and noisy to move into positions that scared the animals far away. Expedition members were forced to buy photographs of large game animals from stores in cities like Nairobi. Expeditions successfully managed to hunt down some species of large game animals.
In December 1910, Boyce led a nine-month, 50,000-mile (80,000 km) expedition to South America, reported in many of his newspapers. In late January 1915, Boyce sailed to England due to his concern over World War I. He received permission from the American Embassy in Switzerland to travel to Germany and Austria for six weeks to report on the commercial and industrial impact of the war on those countries.. He sent an extensive report to the newspaper and went home around April-May.
In late 1922, Boyce left with another expedition to Africa, this time for six months. Morocco reminds him of Dakotas, Kansas, Texas, Florida, and Arizona. In Egypt he visited Tutankhamun's tomb, which had only been discovered several months earlier. The expedition then went to Luxor and sailed to the Nile to Edfu, where the houses had no roofs and when it was there it rained and was touted for the first time in decades. Boyce stated that between his two expeditions to Africa he had shot at least one of every game.
Scouting
When Boyce's interest in philanthropy grew, he switched to his childhood experience in the wild as a resource, but could find no way to channel his charitable ideas and dreams to a desperate stop to England while on the way to what became a failed photography expedition to Africa. The event in London on the way to and from this expedition will lead to the establishment of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), one of the many civil and professional organizations established during the Progressive Era to fill the vacuum of citizens swelling from their rural roots. Many youth organizations such as Woodcraft Indians and Sons of Daniel Boone formed in America in the early 1900s that focused on outdoor character building activities. Theodore Roosevelt's writings and adventures contribute to these movements, with their open nature, nature, and pioneer themes. In 1922 an expedition to Africa, Boyce was highly respected in the Scout that the French Scouts in Algeria saluted him and offered to escort him along the way when they discovered he was the founder of BSA and LSA in America.
Unknown Scout Legend
According to legend, Boyce lost on a foggy road in London in 1909 when an unknown Scout came to his aid, guiding him back to his destination. The boy then rejects Boyce's tip, explaining that he's just doing his job as a Boy Scout. Soon after, Boyce met Robert Baden-Powell, who was the head of the Scout Association at the time. Boyce returned to America, and, four months later, founded the Boy Scouts of America on February 8, 1910. He intended to base the program around American Indian knowledge. This version of the legend has been printed in many BSA handbooks and magazines. There are several variations, including one that claims Boyce knows about the Scouts before this meeting and that the Unknown Scout takes him to Scout headquarters.
In fact, Boyce stopped in London on a trip to a safari in British East Africa. It's true that an unknown Scout helps her and refuses a tip. But this Scout just helped him cross the street; he did not take him to Scout's headquarters and Boyce never met Baden-Powell. At Boyce's request, the unknown Scout gave him the Scout headquarters address, where Boyce went and picked up copies of Scouting For Boys and other printed material in Scouting. He read this while on safari and was so impressed that instead of making his return to America traveling around the world through San Francisco, he returned to Scout headquarters in London. He volunteered to set up Scouting in America and was told he could use their manual. While Boyce's original account did not mention the fog, a 1928 account said there was a fog. Climatology reported no fog on the day in London.
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America was founded on February 8, 1910, but struggled from a lack of money and leadership early on. Boyce personally donated $ 1,000 a month to keep the organization running on condition that boys of all races and beliefs were included, which contradicted his own beliefs about white superiority. He was not interested in directing the organization, and surrendered the organization to Edgar M. Robinson of the YMCA, who subsequently recruited the BSA's permanent executive board. The much needed leadership and management arrived when Daniel Boone and Woodcraft Indians joined the BSA.
Boyce felt that the Scouting emphasis on outdoor activity was crucial in generating the type of leader America needed because the youth who grew up in the city had been too much for them, while those from the country had to learn to do something for themselves. Scouting is focused on teaching self-reliance, citizenship, ingenuity, patriotism, obedience, joy, courage, and decency to "make men."
Lone Scouts of America
Boyce clashed with James E. West, Chief Scout Executive of BSA, for a program for boys who live too far from the city to join forces. Boyce offered to publish a magazine for BSA, provided it was published in Chicago. The BSA National Executive Board changed this offer and soon afterwards Boyce quit active in BSA's administrative activities, although he remained a staunch supporter of the program. As a result of this and his desire to serve a boy with limited opportunities as he himself did when he was younger, Boyce started a new business related to Scouting: Lone Scouts of America (LSA) on 9 January 1915. Dependence on Population Original American themes give LSA a distinctive American flavor Original: Lone Scout can form small groups known as "tribes", tribal treasurers are known as "wampum bearers", and LSA teaches boys to respect the environment. Boyce's annual contribution to the LSA grew to $ 100,000. Both at BSA and LSA, Boyce is a manager and has little direct contact with the Boy Scouts. Upon his return from World War I reporting, Boyce soon began expanding the LSA by starting the Lone Scout magazine and hiring Frank Allan Morgan, a famous Chicago Scoutmaster, to lead the LSA. In November 1915, the LSA had over 30,000 members. Warren gave the title to Boyce Chief Totem . Youth can join the LSA just by sending out some coupons and five cents. In 1916, BSA and LSA competed directly for members. In the summer of 1917, during their annual Dakota hunt, the Gros Ventres Indians made Boyce the head of honor under the name "Big Cloud" during a three-day ceremony. With the Americans at war, Boyce approved the creation of the Lone Scout uniform at the end of 1917. Although he had a uniform made for himself, he determined that no Lone Scout needed to buy one.
Boyce feels that Lone Scout is the best magazine he ever did. Lone Scout is so popular that it can not handle all submitted material, so many local and regional tribe Papers begin. In 1922, the Boyce newspaper business suffered and Lone Scout lost money - switching from weekly to monthly. Boyce's racial prejudice was revealed when racial tension in Chicago increased in the 1920s. The LSA issued an official proclamation in late 1920 that only accepted whites and in 1922 turned the head of Lone Scout from "A Real Boys' Magazine" to "The White Boys Magazine".
The fate of the LSA began to decline in 1920 when Boyce hired the first professional editor for Lone Scout, George N. Madison. Madison found that the list of LSA members was very inaccurate: full of duplicates and inactive members. It was reported that 490,000 Lone Scouts in 1922 was an increasing number. Boyce finally accepted the annual offer of the West to join BSA in April 1924, with merger formalized on June 16, 1924. Some Lone Scouts did not transfer to BSA, but BSA continued Lone Scouting as a separate division for another decade, gradually losing its unique program. Today Lone Scouts uses standard Scout and Scout programs and activities, but are not part of a group or troop regularly due to factors such as distance, weather, time, disability or other difficulties.
Legacy
Benjamin Boyce died in 1928 of cardiac embolism. His father did not arrive home until after his son's death. Boyce was saddened by the death of his son who suffered from his own health. One of Boyce's last attempts was to publish his son's letters from his South Seas expedition: Dear Dad Letters from New Guinea . Boyce died of bronchial pneumonia on June 11, 1929, in Chicago and was buried in his adopted hometown of Ottawa, Illinois, on June 13, 1929, at Ottawa Avenue Cemetery, with West delivering a speech. Boy Scouts retained an honorary guard with an American flag in a massive rainstorm within two hours of shifts in his Ottawa home and 32 Scouts were chosen as honorary bearers. BSA officials sent his widow a telegram saying all the Americans owe him money. A statue commemorating his contribution to the American Scouts was placed near his grave on June 21, 1941, dedicated to the West.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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