The Manchester Union Leader (aka New Hampshire Union
Leader) was a paper that became well known for reflecting the conservative views of its publisher William Loeb
(December 26, 1905–September 13,1981), and it became
nationally prominent in 1972 for its attacks on Maine’s
Democratic Senator Edmund Muskie. During the mid-
1970s, Loeb changed the paper’s name to the Union Leader
to emphasize the fact that it was the only statewide daily
newspaper in New Hampshire.
The New Hampshire Union Leader was first published
in 1863 as the Manchester Daily Union. Publisher James M.
Campbell reported only on national news. In 1880, under
the direction of Stilson Hutchins, the paper began coverage
of local news across the entire State. Always a paper with
a sharp political edge, the Daily Union began as a staunch
supporter of the Democratic Party, a loyalty it continued
until 1912, when publisher Rosencrans Pillsbury refused
to support William Jennings Bryan for President. One year
later, Pillsbury merged the Union with its chief rival, the
Manchester Leader. The new editor, Frank Knox (January
1, 1874–April 28, 1944), led the Manchester Union Leader
through a period of prosperity and political independence
for the next three decades until his death in 1944. (Knox
was long active in the Republican Party and became Alf
Landon’s vice presidential running mate in 1936. Knox’s
other paper, the Chicago Daily News was strongly antiFDR and the New Deal. In 1940, though, Knox became
Secretary of the Navy in Roosevelt’s cabinet.)
In 1946, the man whose name remains synonymous with
the newspaper, Loeb, purchased control of the paper. Under
his direction, the Manchester Union Leader embarked
on an aggressive conservative political agenda, endorsing
such candidates as Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon (1960,
1968), and Ronald Reagan, while blasting anti-Vietnam
war candidates Eugene McCarthy and George McGovern
as killers responsible for the deaths of American soldiers.
He once called McGovern a communist and referred to him
as “George McDovern.” Never one to confuse party loyalty
with conservative politics, Mr. Loeb withdrew his support
of Nixon in 1972 because of Nixon’s “softness” on China.
Most notoriously, in 1972, Loeb attacked Democratic
front-runner Edmund Muskie as a political opportunist too
unstable to be trusted with the nuclear bomb. During the
primary campaign, Loeb published fifteen stories unfavorable to Muskie and twenty-eight editorials supporting
Muskie’s chief opponent, Sam Yorty, primarily with antiMuskie rhetoric. Loeb went so far as to attack Muskie’s
wife by reprinting an unfavorable article about her from
Newsweek magazine. Muskie responded to the attacks by
mounting a platform outside the Union Leader to denounce
Loeb; unfortunately, Muskie broke down when talking
about the attack on his wife and appeared to some in the
audience to be crying. The incident made national headlines and appeared on the nightly news. While he did win
the primary, he did so with a smaller-than-expected margin
and his candidacy was weakened to the point that opponent
George McGovern received the nomination. The incident
propelled Loeb onto the national stage and with him the
Manchester Union Leader.
Loeb continued his controversial career for the next
decade. The Manchester Union Leader became known for
Loeb’s eccentric practices of writing editorials on the front
page and printing all the letters-to-the-editor he received.
When Loeb died in 1981, his wife, Nackey S. Loeb (February 24, 1924–January 8, 2000), continued her husband’s
conservative politics, once calling President Bill Clinton a
“disgrace.” Mrs. Loeb computerized the editing and typesetting of the paper, expanding its sports, business, and
consumer coverage. She also devoted the newspaper to
community affairs and charitable activities.
Subsequently, the Union Leader became less controversial under the editorship of Joseph McQuaid, son of William
Loeb’s editor-in-chief, Bernard McQuaid. The newspaper
remained profitable and a vocal presence in national politics, especially because the New Hampshire primary is the
first in the nation, and can influence candidates who seek
their party’s nomination for the residency.
In April, 2005, the newspaper was renamed the New
Hampshire Union Leader. It had a daily circulation of
approximately 63,000 readers and a Sunday circulation of
some 83,000 readers. The Sunday edition was known as The
New Hampshire Sunday News. An electronic version of the
newspaper was available at UnionLeader.com, and a complete edition of the newspaper could also be obtained for a
fee on the Internet. The newspaper was independently owned
by the Union Leader Corporation until October, 2000, when,
upon the death of Publisher Nackey S. Loeb, ownership was
transferred to the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications, Inc. Through this transfer, the Union Leader has been
able to remain an independent outlet for news.
Further Reading
Veblen, Eric P. The Manchester Union Leader in New Hampshire.
Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1975.
Richard Katula