resting_place death_date religion children birth_place nationality parents birth_date notable_works spouse article_title name occupation alma_mater
columbia cemetery 23 may 1931 baptist hugh stephens , e. sydney stephens columbia , missouri american james l. stephens 21 january 1849 around the world laura moss edwin william stephens
 edwin william stephens journalist , publisher university of missouri
edwin william stephens

edwin william stephens or e.w. stephens was an american journalist , publisher , and civil leader from columbia , missouri .
born in 1849 into a prominent family he would graduate from the university of missouri in 1867 .
he was hired by william switzler publisher of the `` missouri statesman '' .
in the 1870 he went into business for himself , eventually founding the `` columbia herald '' , which became famous as `` america 's model weekly . ''
he also founded the e.w. stephens publishing company .
stephens served as president of the board of curators for both the university of missouri and stephens college , which was named after his father james l. stephens .
in 1890 he was president of the missouri press association were he would advocate for the creation of the missouri state historical society and became its first president in 1898 .
his relationship with walter williams , who he employed at the herald , would lead to the creation of the world 's first school of journalism : the missouri school of journalism .
stephens chaired the commission responsible for the design and construction of the current missouri state capitol .
