Dates

• Existence: 1879-1960

Biography

Merritt C. Speidel was born in Port Jervis, New York, on May 19, 1879, the son of Martin and Hanna Speidel. He was educated in the public and private schools of New York State.   His newspaper career began at the age of thirteen with the local newspaper. During high school he published the Union School Journal. While in his teens, he joined the Tri-States Publishing Company, publishers of the Port Jervis Daily Union, the Tri-States and the New York Farmer. He became editor of the Daily Union while still in his teens. In 1910 Mr. Speidel purchased the Piqua (Ohio) Daily Call. In 1921 he moved to Iowa City, Iowa, and purchased the Iowa City Press Citizen. Mr. Speidel moved to Palo Alto in 1937, and he was active in that community. He served on the Press and Union League Club's general reception during the 1951 Japanese Peace Treaty Conference in San Francisco. He also served on the National Commission for Reorganization of the federal government under President Hoover. Mr. Speidel died March 2, 1960.   Throughout his professional life, Merritt C. Speidel was active in public service and had been appointed to public office by Democratic and Republican officials. In Ohio, he was offered the nomination for lieutenant governor, but turned it down.

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