M. H. de Young

Michael was a man who loved news.

He and his brother started a paper. They used a gold piece to pay for it. He also helped lead a big fair. This fair was held in a park.

Michael loved to collect many things. He gave money to help a museum. He wanted people to see his items. The museum is free to visit. It is named after him today.

Michael Henry de Young was a man from San Francisco.

He was a businessman and a journalist. This means he worked with news. In 1865, he and his brother started a paper. They used a twenty dollar gold piece to begin.

The paper was called the Daily Dramatic Chronicle. Later, it became a daily newspaper.

De Young also helped lead a big event. He was the leader for a world's fair in 1894. This fair was held in Golden Gate Park. He wanted to bring many people to the park. He even saved one building from the fair. This building became a museum.

De Young loved to collect many things. His daughter said he was a great collector. He loved to share his items with people. He wanted the museum to be free for all. After he died, he gave $150,000 to the museum. Today, the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum is in the park. It is named to honor him.

Michael Henry de Young was a famous American businessman and journalist.

He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 30, 1849. His family was Jewish and they moved to San Francisco in 1854.

His father may have been a jeweler or a merchant. Later in life, de Young became a Roman Catholic. He lived a very busy life in California. He was known for many different things in his city.

De Young helped start a newspaper with his brother, Charles.

They used a twenty dollar gold piece to begin their work. At first, they published a four-page paper called the Daily Dramatic Chronicle. It was handed out for free in San Francisco. On September 1, 1868, they grew it into a daily newspaper. The paper said it would be neutral in nothing. He also worked as a director for the Associated Press.

In 1894, de Young led a very large event. He was the director-general for the California Midwinter International Exposition. This was a world's fair held in San Francisco.

He wanted to hold the fair in Golden Gate Park. He was inspired by a museum in New York City. This caused a big debate with the park superintendent. The superintendent worried about removing many trees from the park. De Young believed the benefits of the fair were more important.

De Young had a very large family with five children. His children were Charles, Helen, Constance, Kathleen, and Phyllis.

In 1884, he survived being shot by a businessman. This happened because of a negative article in his paper. He also tried to run for the U.S. Senate in 1895. He lost that election to George C. Perkins. He died on February 15, 1925, in San Francisco.

De Young was a man who loved to collect objects. His daughter, Helen, said he was an incurable collector. He found things that were artistic and instructive. He saved the Fine Arts Building from the 1894 fair. This building became the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum.

He gave $150,000 to the museum when he died. He also wanted the museum to be free for everyone. Today, the museum still sits in Golden Gate Park.

Michael Henry de Young was a prominent American journalist and businessman.

He was born on September 30, 1849, in St. Louis, Missouri. His family was Jewish, though he later converted to Roman Catholicism after marrying Katherine I. Deane. De Young became a central figure in the development of San Francisco. He used his influence in media and public events to shape the city. His life involved large-scale business ventures and significant public leadership roles.

De Young began his career in the newspaper industry with his brother, Charles de Young. On January 17, 1865, they founded the Daily Dramatic Chronicle. They started this business using a twenty dollar gold piece borrowed from a landlord. The publication began as a four-page tabloid that was distributed for free throughout San Francisco. The brothers believed their paper would be the best advertising medium on the Pacific Coast. On September 1, 1868, they expanded the tabloid into a full daily newspaper. The first issue of this daily edition claimed the paper would be independent in all things but neutral in none.

De Young's career also included high-level roles in news organizations and politics. He served as a director for the Associated Press for many years. In 1895, he attempted to enter national politics when he was nominated for the U.S. Senate. However, he lost that election to a fellow Republican named George C. Perkins. His life was not always peaceful, as he faced intense competition and conflict. In 1884, an irate businessman named Adolph B. Spreckels shot de Young. This attack was reportedly caused by a negative article published in de Young's newspaper. He survived the injury and continued his work.

One of de Young's most significant achievements was leading a major international event. He served as the director-general of the California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894. This event was a world's fair held in San Francisco. De Young was inspired to create this fair by the Chicago World's Fair. He specifically wanted to host the exposition in Golden Gate Park. This idea was inspired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City's Central Park.

His plan to use Golden Gate Park led to an intense debate with John McLaren. McLaren was the superintendent of the park and worried about the environment. He was concerned about how removing many trees would affect the park. De Young argued that the benefits of the exposition outweighed the loss of the trees. He famously asked McLaren, "What is a tree?" He also owned about 31 blocks of real estate south of the park. This ownership meant the fair could have positively impacted his own property holdings. While most of the fair's buildings were eventually destroyed, de Young saved one important structure.

De Young successfully persuaded the city to save the Fine Arts Building from the fair. This building later became the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum.

De Young was a passionate collector of objects throughout his life. His daughter, Helen de Young Cameron, described him as an incurable collector. He sought out items that were artistic, curious, and instructive in value. He would visit his collections at the museum at all hours. He believed in sharing these treasures with the citizens of San Francisco. To ensure this, he insisted that the museum should never charge admission.

De Young left a massive financial legacy to support his museum. Upon his death on February 15, 1925, he bequeathed $150,000 to the institution. His family also remained connected to the media industry for decades. His grandson, Ferdinand Melly Thieriot, served as the circulation director of The Chronicle. Tragically, Ferdinand and his wife Frances were among the 46 people killed in a maritime collision. Their ship was struck by the Stockholm off the coast of Nantucket in 1956. Despite these family tragedies, the museum he helped establish remains a major cultural landmark in San Francisco.