After the war the family moved to Knoxville Tennessee.2 In Knoxville Adolph studied in the public schools and during his spare time delivered newspapers.1 At 11 he went to work at the Knoxville Chronicle as office boy to William Rule the editor who became a mentor.2 In 1871 he was a grocer's clerk at Providence Rhode Island attending a night school meanwhile. He then returned to Knoxville where he was a druggist's apprentice for some time.3 In 1872 he returned to the Chronicle as a "printer's devil" who looked after various details in the composing room of the paper.2

His siblings also worked at the newspaper to supplement the income of their father a lay rabbi for Knoxville's small Jewish community. The Chronicle was the only Republican pro-Reconstruction newspaper in the city but Ochs counted Father Ryan the Poet-Priest of the Confederacy among his customers.4 Chattanooga Times and New York Times Ochs and his daughter Iphigene c. 1902

At the age of 19 he borrowed $250 to purchase a controlling interest in The Chattanooga Times becoming its publisher. The following year he founded a commercial paper called The Tradesman. He was one of the founders of the Southern Associated Press and served as president. In 1896 at the age of 38 he again borrowed money to purchase The New York Times a money-losing newspaper that had a wide range of competitors in New York City. He formed the New York Times Co. placed the paper on a strong financial foundation and became the majority stockholder.1 In 1904 he hired Carr Van Anda as his managing editor. Their focus on objective news reporting in a time when newspapers were openly and highly partisan and a well-timed price decrease (from 3 per issue to 1) led to its rescue from near oblivion. The paper's readership increased from 9000 at the time of his purchase to 780000 by the 1920s.

In 1904 Ochs moved the New York Times to a newly-built building on Longacre Square in Manhattan which the City of New York then renamed as Times Square. On New Year's Eve 1904 he had pyrotechnists illuminate his new building at One Times Square with a fireworks show from street level.

On August 18 1921 the 25th anniversary of reorganization the staff of The New York Times numbered 1885. It was classed as an independent Democratic publication and consistently opposed William Jennings Bryan in his presidential campaigns. By its fairness in the presentation of news editorial moderation and ample foreign service it secured a high place in American journalism becoming widely read and influential throughout the United States.1

Beginning with 1896 there was issued weekly a supplement eventually called The New York Times Book Review and Magazine. Gradually other auxiliary publications were added: The Annalist a financial review appearing on Mondays; The Times Mid-Week Pictorial on Thursdays; Current History Magazine a monthly started during World War I. The New York Times Index started in 1913 and was published quarterly; it compared only with the similar Index to The Times.1

In 1901 Ochs became proprietor and editor of the Philadelphia Times later merged in the Philadelphia Public Ledger of which he was sole owner from 1902-12 when he sold it to Cyrus H. K. Curtis.1 Family and religious activities In 1884 Ochs married Effie Wise the daughter of Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise of Cincinnati who was the leading exponent of Reform Judaism in America and the founder of Hebrew Union College. In 1928 Ochs built the Mizpah Congregation Temple in Chattanooga in memory of his parents Julius and Bertha Ochs.5 The Georgian colonial building was designated as a Tennessee Historical Preservation Site in 1979.6 Ochs was engaged in crusading against anti-Semitism. He was active in the early years of the Anti-Defamation League serving as an executive board member and using his influence as publisher of the New York Times to convince other newspapers nationwide to cease the unjustified caricaturing and lampooning of Jews in the American press. Death and legacy Ochs died April 8 1935 during a visit to Chattanooga.7 His only daughter Iphigene Bertha Ochs married Arthur Hays Sulzberger who became publisher of the Times after Adolph died. Her son-in-law Orvil Dryfoos was publisher from 196163 followed by her son Arthur Ochs "Punch" Sulzberger. Her daughter Ruth Holmberg became publisher of The Chattanooga Times. Ruth Holmberg's son is Arthur Golden author of Memoir of a Geisha. Ochs' great-grandson Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. has been publisher of The New York Times since 1992. One of his nephews Julius Ochs Adler worked at the New York Times for more than 40 years becoming general manager in 1935 after Ochs died. Another nephew John Bertram Oakes the son of his brother George Washington Ochs Oakes became editorial page editor of the Times' editorial page in 1961 which he edited until 1976. Mr. Ochs was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 1982. References a b c d e f  "Ochs Adolph S.". Encyclopdia Britannica (12th ed.). 1922.  a b c d Obituary The New York Times April 9 1935.  "Ochs Adolph S.". Encyclopedia Americana. 1920.  Neely Jack. Knoxville's Secret History. Scruffy City Publishing 1995. Chattanooga By Elena Irish Zimmerman Arcadia Publishing 1998p. 49 http://www.mizpahcongregation.org/aboutus/history/ http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/imagegallery.phpEntryIDO008 Further reading The Trust: The Private and Powerful Family behind The New York Times Susan E. Tifft and Alex S. Jones Little Brown and Company 1999. History of the ADL: http://www.adl.org/ADLHistory/19131920.asp External links Wikisource has the text of the 1921 Collier's Encyclopedia article Ochs Adolph S.. Obituary NY Times April 9 1935 Adolph S. Ochs Dead at 77; Publisher of Times Since 1896 Jewish Virtual Library - Adolph Ochs Tennessee Encyclopedia article Article in FAIR by John L. Hess assessing career Awards and achievements Preceded by Edith Cummings Cover of Time Magazine 1 September 1924 Succeeded by Wu Pei-fu Authority control: PND: 137155328 LCCN: n88274971 VIAF: 18789865 Persondata Name Ochs Adolph Alternative names Short description American newspaper publisher former owner of The New York Times and The Chattanooga Times Date of birth March 12 1858 Place of birth Cincinnati Date of death April 8 1935 Place of death Chattanooga