Alfred Horatio Belo

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Alfred Horatio Belo (born May, 1839 in Salem, North Carolina) was the founder of The Dallas Morning News newspaper in Dallas, Texas, along with business partner George Bannerman Dealey. The company A. H. Belo Corporation, owner of The Dallas Morning News, is named in his honor.

1 Early life
2 Belo's beginnings in business
3 The Dallas Morning News
4 Death
5 External links
6 References

[edit] Early life

Belo was born in North Carolina in May of 1839. He had been highly educated since an early age.

During the Civil War, Belo fought for the Confederacy. Belo was a soldier in the Civil War for the North Carolina 55th Regiment. He was injured in the Battle of Gettysburg and then again in the Battle of Cold Harbor^[1].

[edit] Belo's beginnings in business

At the end of the Civil War, Belo moved to the Houston area in search of job opportunities. He met newswriter Willard Richardson, who published the Galveston Daily News and the Texas Almanac (1857). This company was known as The News. Belo's intelligence led Richardson to ask him to become partners and renamed the company Richardson, Belo, & Co.. After Richardson's death, Belo became the sole owner, and renamed the company A. H. Belo & Co. in 1881.

Belo incorporated the newly-invented telephone by successfully linking his home to the Galveston Daily News. The newspaper was recognized for taking advantage of the latest printing technology available at the time.

[edit] The Dallas Morning News

Main article: The Dallas Morning News

In 1885, Belo sent George Bannerman Dealey to Dallas to help establish a sister newspaper in that city. Dealey had been working his way up in the company since 1874, and Belo confided in him. He was given the title of business manager to oversee the creation of the newspaper (which formed the first newspaper chain). The first edition was printed October 1, 1885. The building where the newspaper was headquartered made use of the city's first commercial electric lights.

Belo had been one of the founders of the Associated Press and renowned nationwide for his unbiased reports, intelligence, and superior ideals, which were uncommon at the time.

[edit] Death

Belo died on April 19, 1901 in his family's summer home in Asheville, North Carolina^[2]. Belo had never fully recovered from his battle wounds and sought comfort and relief many months out of the year outside of Texas.