The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Chamberlain, Samuel Selwyn

CHAMBERLAIN, Samuel Selwyn, American jounalist: b. Walworth, N. Y., 25 Sept. 1851; d. San Francisco, Cal., 25 Jan. 1916. He was graduated from New York University in 1875, and at once entered the journalistic field with the New York Herald; he went abroad with Mr. Bennett of the Herald, and was for a time editor of the Paris edition of that journal. In 1879 he became editor of the World, but left to take charge of the Evening Telegram in 1881. He founded Le Matin of Paris in 1884 and edited it for two years and then returned to the United States. In 1889 Mr. Hearst engaged him as editor of the San Francisco Examiner, and he remained on the Pacific coast until 1895, when he came to New York as editor of the Morning Journal. In 1900 he became managing editor of the Philadelphia North American, which soon resumed its old place among the successful publications of that city. In a year or two Mr. Chamberlain returned to the Hearst service, and until his death acted as general staff officer. He went to the Chicago Examiner, was recalled to the New York American, and for several years, until the spring of 1915, had been the Hearst representative in London. His last work was editor of the Boston American. He was recognized as an exceptionally able newspaper man; his forte was a news touch of charming delicacy; he had unerring news perception and understood and carried out feature ideas that were distinct.