Located along the containing wall of Central Park,
near the 102nd Street and Fifth Avenue
entrance rests an odd looking monument
in memory of Arthur Brisbane, an American
editor and writer.
This stone memorial with
a carved bench commemorates the life of
this renowned editorial journalist.
Early in his career he was widely recognized
as the master of sensationalism, headlining
scandalous news stories and supporting his
employer's, William Randolph Hearst,
philistine promotion of the Spanish American
War, a scar to his career that would haunt
his reputation to this very day often
overshadowing his progressive muckraking
efforts on behalf of many great causes including
improved public schools, labor law and
prison reform as well as crusading campaigns
against crime, capital punishment and Prohibition.
He exposed political corruption and was in fact
one of the world's most read editorial writers.
He worked first as a reporter for
Charles A. Dana’s New York Sun and then
as managing editor for Joseph Pulitzer’s
New York World. In 1897 William Randolph
Hearst made him managing editor of The
New York Evening Journal.
Along with his many achievements came
a salary to match his rank, making
him the highest paid U.S. newspaper editor
of his day.
Brisbane's widely syndicated editorial
column, “Today,” was written from 1917
to the day of his death, often as a
front-page feature.
