| Notes |
- Niagara Gazette - 10/19/1954
Alanson Chase Deuel, publisher of the Gazette and a leader
in civic and business affairs throughout the Niagara Frontier,
died today at his home after an illness of several months. He
was 80 years old Oct. 10.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday at Mr,.
Deuel's home, Lewiston Heights, with the Rev. James E. Wells
Jr., rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Lewiston, officiating.
Burial will, be in Riverdale Cemetery.
Pall bearers will.be Robert Stevens,
Charles Woodward Jr., Thomas
Bright, Donald Coe, C. Clifford
Frost, Robert L. Rice Jr., Paul A.
Schocllkopf Jr., and Frank Jerome
Tone Jr.
Mr. Deuel is survived by his
wife, Helen Langmuir Deuel. His
first wife, May Brock Deuel, died
Dec. 30, 1930.
Active In charitable and civic
organizations, Mr. Deuel was a
member of the board of directors
of the Marine Trust Company of
Western New York and chairman
of the advisory board of the
Power City Trust Branch. He
was; a past president of the
Travelers Aid Society and director
and past treasurer of the
Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital.
Mr. Deuel was appointed to the
Niagara Frontier State Park Commission
by Gov. Thomas E. Dewey
in 1947. He was a past president
of "the Associated Dailies of New
York State and a member of the
-American Newspaper Publishers
Assn. and the New York State
Publishers Assn.
He was vice president of the
Niagara Falls Hotel Corp. and a
former director of the Niagara
Falls Chamber of'Commerce and
of the United Community Chest.
Delegate to Conventions-
Mr. Deuel became a director of
the Power City Trust Co. in 1928
and was chairman of the board
when the bank merged with the
Marine Trust Co. He was prominent
in the formation in 1928 of the
hotel corporation, which group
erected Hotel Niagara.
The degree of Doctor of Humane
Letters was conferred on Mr. Deuel
by Niagara University in 1949.
An active Republican, Mr. Deuel
was a delegate many times to the
party's national conventions.
in 1940, the Niagara Falls Gazette
Publishing Co. opened Radio
Station WHLD, which with WHLDFM
it still operates in studios at
Hotel Niagara. This year, Mr.
Deuel was associated with interests
which succeeded in obtaining television
channel 2 for the Niagara
Frontier and which launched Station
WGR-TV in Buffalo.
Mr. Deuel was a veteran of the
Spanish American War, having
served with the 42nd Separate Co.
of the New York National Guard,
which he joined in 1898.
Mr. Deuel was a past president
of the Niagara Falls Country Club
and a member of the Niagara Club,
as well as the Bath and Tennis,
Everglades and Old Guard Clubs
of Palm Beach. Fla., where he
maintained a winter home in Ocean
Blvd.
Habits of enterprise, courage and
thrift were imparted to Mr. Deuel
in childhood. He was born of de-
vout Quaker parents in East Ham-
burg, N.Y. His father was Israel
Deuel and his mother was Emeline
Chase Deuel.
Started at Printer
Mr. Deuel started his newspaper
career as a printer's helper on the
weekly Hamburg Independent. He
later was employed in the mechan-
ical department of the Courier
Printing Co., Buffalo. He came to
this city in 1895 to take charge of
the printing department of the Ga-
zette.
The Gazette had just become a
daily and a new era of industrial
development was dawning here.
Water power had been harnassed
to provide abundant electricity and
heavy industry of the electro-
chemical type was being attracted
to the city. Mr. Deuel foresaw a
bright future for both the commun-
ity and the newspaper and he dedi-
cated his life's work to promoting
their advancement. '
When the Gazette was purchased
by William B. Rankine and Peter
A. Porter, Mr. Deuel was trans*'
ferred to the advertising department
of the paper. Upon his re«-
turn from military service j n 1898,'
he was appointed business man*,
ager of the Gazette, of which
Eugene R. White had become editor
and publisher.
Upon the death of Mr. White in
1906, the board of directors appointed
Mr , Deuel president and
treasurer and placed him in complete
charge of the newspaper.
Since that time, the Gazette has
reflected its publisher's personality
-a blend of honesty, conservatism,
optimism and faith in the potentialities
of the Niagara Frontier.
Mr. Deuel acquired personal
control of the Gazette in 1911, and
it continued to grow under his
guidance to its present 'status as
one of New York State's leading
dailies.
Built for Future
When he took over the Gazette,
Mr. Deuel found the paper in difficult
financial straits. The high
premium which he had learned to
place on hard work and thrift
paid off in this trying period and
led the paper out of the doldrums
to a favorable earnings position.
Aware of the need for applying
a good portion of annual income
to improving facilities and service,
Mr. Deuel practiced this policy of
building for the future right up to
his death.
Only three years ago, Mr. Deuel
instituted an extensive modernization
program at the Gazette. A
six-unit Goss Headliner press, capable
of printing 45,000 96-page
newspapers in an hour, was installed
in the plant, and the editorial
and business offices were'
remodeled.
Mr. Deuel built the present Gazette
Building in 1914 and in 1915
moved the paper from rented offices
in Third St. The new structure
was designed for efficiency of
operation as well as for the comfort
of employes.
Under Mr. Deuel's direction, the
paper joined the Associated Press
news service in 1920, and, in 1937,
this was supplemented by the
United Press service. Later, he
added wirephoto and four-color
printing.
Mr. Deuel's moral principles
have been reflected in the editorial
policy of the Gazette. He opposed
sensationalism in the presentation
of news and adhered to the belief
that the newspaper was meant for
the home, where every member of
the family would be able to read it.
The Gazette has been independent
Republican in politics, conforming
to the publisher's philosophy.
Mr.' Dcucl pushed the newspaper's
editorial campaigns for relocation
of grade crossings, a modern
city educational system, the
city manager form of government,
the elimination of vice and gambling
in this city and the redevelopment
of additional Niagara River
power by private enterprise.
It was a great source of pride
to Mr. Deuel when the Gazette
observed its centennial on May 17
in a special 144-page issue, the
history of the newspaper and the
city were unfolded for the Gazette's
34,000 subscribers.
Mr. Deuel personally shaped the
character of the Gazette. He made
the newspaper an institution in the
city and county, promoting the
area's natural advantages and it's
propensity for growth as an indus-
trial and tourist center.
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Abt 1876 - 1954 (78 years)