The Press: Lord Thomson of the Ozarks

Britain’s Lord Thomson of Fleet has never laid eyes on the Ozark mountains. But ever on the lookout for profitable little newspapers, Thomson’s North American agents cast covetous eyes on the Northwest Arkansas Times (circ. 14,825) of Fayetteville. The daily has been in Senator J. William Fulbright’s family since 1913; last week it became Lord Thomson’s latest U.S. acquisition. It brought the total of Thomson papers in the U.S. to 56—the largest U.S. chain.

The usual combination of factors caused the Fulbright family to sell: lack of interest on the part of younger members, pressure of other affairs, and a handsome offer from Thomson: nearly $3,000,000. Senator Fulbright owned a substantial share of stock in the Times, but he is not likely to miss the paper much. As a youth, he worked for it only occasionally. But in a way, he has it to thank for his political career. In 1940 he was president of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville when the paper harshly criticized Homer Adkins, who was running for Governor. When elected, Adkins retaliated by packing the university’s board of trustees and persuading them to sack Fulbright. Out of a job, Fulbright ran for Congress and won.