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Lucien D. Starke Jr.

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Not to be confused with Lucien D. Starke.

Lucien Douglas Starke Jr. (October 26, 1868 – July 31, 1931) was an American newspaper publisher and attorney. He was the president and publisher of the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. It continues today as The Virginian-Pilot, Virginia's largest daily newspaper.

Lucien D. Starke Jr.
Born
Lucien Douglas Starke Jr.

October 26, 1868
Norfolk, Virginia, US
DiedJuly 31, 1931(1931-07-31) (aged 62)
Norfolk, Virginia, US
Burial placeElmwood Cemetery (Norfolk, Virginia)
Alma materUniversity of Virginia
Occupation(s)Lawyer and newspaper publisher
Employer(s)Starke & Starke
Norfolk Virginian-Pilot
ParentLucien D. Starke

Early life

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Lucien Douglas Starke Jr. was born on October 26, 1868, in Norfolk, Virginia.[1][2] His parents were Tabitha Lucretia (née Pippen) and Lucian D. Starke.[3] His father was a lawyer, newspaper publisher, and a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.[3] His mother died when he was eight years old.[2]

He attended an elementary school in Norfolk that was operated by William R. Galt.[2] Next, he attended Bethel Military Academy in Fauquier County.[2] He studied law at the University of Virginia under John B. Minor.[4][2] While at the university, he was a member of the fraternity of Delta Psi (St. Anthony Hall).[5] He graduated with a bachelor of law in 1899 and passed the bar.[4][2]

Career

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In 1889, Starke joined his father, brother W. W. Starke, and William Bruce Martin in the Norfolk law firm of Starke & Martin, later known as Starke & Starke.[3][6][2] The firm's name changed to Starke, Venable & Starke and, then, L. D. Starke and W. W. Starke.[2] In November 1898, Starke was a founing member of the Norfolk and Portmouth Bar Association.[7][8]

Starke was a staff member of Governor James Hoge Tyler from 1898 to 1902, receiving the rank of colonel.[9][10][2] In August 1901, he joined the governor's party to attend Virginia Day at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York.[11]

In 1896, he negotiated the purchase of the struggling Norfolk Pilot for client, Albert H. Grandy.[1][4][12] Starke became treasurer of the newspaper's operating company.[12][4][2] The Norfolk Pilot merged with the Norfolk Virginian in 1898, forming the Virginian-Pilot.[10][4][13] Starke served on the newspaper's boar of directors.[13] In 1900, he was the secretary of the Virginian-Pilot, with Grandy as president.[14] Later, he became the newspaper's vice president and acting president.[4][2]

After Grandy died in August 1903, Starke became the newspaper's president.[1][12][2] He purchased his father's former newspaper, the Norfolk Landmark on January 1, 1912.[10][2][3] After practicing for law thirty years, Starke left the field in 1921 and became the publisher of the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot newspaper.[15] Under his leadership, what had once been a small daily newspaper emerged as a metropolitan journal, with subscribers increasing from 16,000 to more than 48,000.[4][2]

Starke owned oyster rights in Little Bay with Lewis B. White; they were paid $21,950 in 1931 for the loss of these rights when the United States Naval Station opened in Hampton Roads.[16] He was also a director of the Virginia National Bank of Norfolk and the Seaboard Fire Insurance Company in Portsmouth.[4][17][18][19]

Personal life

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Starke married Mary Bell White on June 4, 1903.[2] She was the daughter of Clementine Bell White and Major Lewis B. Bell.[12][20] They lived on a farm in Princess Anne County, some eight miles from Norfolk and close to Virginia Beach.[4]

In 1891, he was a founding board member of the Norfolk Union Mission.[21] He seerved on the board of the Ballentine Home and the Mt. Sinai Hospital Founation Fund.[2][22] He was a member of the Chesapeake Country Club, Norfolk Country Club, and the Princess Anne Country Club.[2] He attended St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Norfolk.[2]

Starke had a heart attack in July 1931.[2] Starke died three weeks later on July 31, 1931, in the Sarah Leigh Hospital of Norfolk at the age of 63.[15][1][12][2] He was buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Norfolk.[12][9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Lucian Starke, Publisher Dies". Newspapers.com. The Tampa Tribune. 1931-08-01. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Col. Lucien Douglas Starke, Publisher of Virginian-Pilot, Dies After Brief Illness". Newspapers.com. Norfolk, Virginia: The Virginian-Pilot. 1931-08-01. p. 1,4. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  3. ^ a b c d Powell, William S. (1994). "Starke, Lucien Douglas". Dictionary of North Carolina Biography. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. Retrieved November 9, 2024 – via NCpedia.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Aiken, J. N. (March 3, 1928). "Romances of American Journalism". The Editor and Publisher. Retrieved November 10, 2024 – via The Virginian-Pilot, August 1, 1931.
  5. ^ Catalogue of the members of the fraternity of Delta Psi - Revised and corrected to August 15, 1912. 5th edition. Sherman P. Haight, 1912. via Family Search
  6. ^ "Colonel Starke Enters to Rest". Newspapers.com. Norfolk, Virginia: Virginian-Pilot. 1902-02-22. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  7. ^ "Bar Association Banque". Norfolk, Virginia: The Virginian-Pilot. 1898-11-25. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  8. ^ "Organization of the Norfolk an Portsmouth Bar Association". Newspapers.com. The Portsmouth Star. 1898-11-24. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  9. ^ a b "Col. L. D. Starke to be Buried Today". Newspapers.com. Richmond Times-Dispatch. 1931-08-02. p. 13. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  10. ^ a b c "Col. L. D. Starke Publisher, Age 63, Dies at Norfolk". Newspapers.com. Roanoke, Virginia: The World-News. 1931-08-01. p. 9. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  11. ^ "Society". Newspapers.com. Richmond Times-Dispatch. 1901-08-25. p. 10. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  12. ^ a b c d e f "Col. Lucian Starke Passes at Norfolk". Newspapers.com. The Atlanta Journal. 1931-08-02. p. 28. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  13. ^ a b "The Consolidation of the Norfolk Virginian and the Norfolk Pilot". Newspapers.com. Richmond Dispatch. 1898-04-01. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  14. ^ "Masthead". Newspapers.com. Virginian-Pilot. 1900-06-05. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  15. ^ a b "Virginia Publisher Dies". Newspapers.com. The Cincinnati Enquirer. 1931-08-01. p. 18. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  16. ^ "$185,000 is Sought to Cover Damages to Oyster Rights". Newspapers.com. Richmond Times-Dispatch. 1931-12-19. p. 13. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  17. ^ "Home, Sweet Home". Newspapers.com. The Portsmouth Star. 1903-01-13. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  18. ^ "Seabord Fire Insurance Co". Newspapers.com. The Portsmouth Star. 1902-06-19. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  19. ^ "The Virginia National Bank of Norfolk". Newspapers.com. Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch. 1926-01-07. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  20. ^ "Deaths". Newspapers.com. Norfolk, Virginia: The Virginian-Pilot. 1962-12-09. p. 14. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  21. ^ "Union Mission Anniversary Service Takes Place Today". Newspapers.com. Norfolk, Virginia: The Virginian-Pilot. 1931-02-08. p. 13. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  22. ^ "Committees Meet Tonight in Drive". Newspapers.com. Norfolk, Virginia: The Virginian-Pilot. 1921-04-14. p. 16. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
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