This paper chronicles the career of Floyd Gibbons, one of the first modern war correspondents. A colorful character and keen observer of detail, Gibbons managed to provide compelling firsthand reports of a wide range of news events, from Pancho Villa's raids along the Mexican border to accounts of the front of the 1920 war between Poland and Russia, at which he was the only journalist present. His account of the German submarine attack that sank the British liner Laconia helped provide strong public sentiment for the United States' entry into World War II, and his heroic actions on the battlefield in France cost him an eye but earned him France's highest honor. A longtime reporter for the Chicago Tribune, his firing was as spectacular as his writing career. He eventually established a successful career as a radio correspondent; he was "The Headline Hunter" on NBC radio for many years. Ignoring persistent heart problems, he continued to report on conflicts around the globe. After his death, Gibbons became the first civilian ever to be made an honorary member of the United States Marine Corps, in recognition of his courageous journalistic efforts.
Raphael Floyd Phillips Gibbons was born on July 16, 1887, in Washington, DC, the first of five children of Edward Thomas Gibbons and Emma Theresa Phillips Gibbons. His father ran a successful retail produce business, but later sold the business and moved the family to Minneapolis, where he started an even more successful trading-stamp company.
Floyd enrolled in Georgetown University's college preparatory program, but was expelled for a student prank and never completed his education. One of his first jobs was working with the editor of a small newspaper in Lucca, North Dakota, which inspired him to become a reporter. In 1907, he was employed by the Minneapolis Daily News and quickly went on to become the Milwaukee Free Press's police reporter. In 1910, he returned to Minneapo...