Curtis, William Eleroy, 1850-1911

American journalist.

From the description of Typed letters signed (4) : Washington, D.C., to Harper & Brothers, 1891 Apr. 27-July 28. (Morgan Library & Museum). WorldCat record id: 81020876

Curtis was chief of the Latin-American department of the Chicago Record .

From the guide to the William Eleroy Curtis Scrapbooks, 1874-1911, 1885-1911, (Princeton University. Library. Dept. of Rare Books and Special Collections)

Traveling correspondent for two Chicago newspapers, the Inter-Ocean (1873-1886) and the Record Herald (1887-1911).

From the description of Papers, 1877-1912. (Rhinelander District Library). WorldCat record id: 17937197

William Eleroy Curtis (1850-1911) was born on November 5, 1850 In Akron, Hio, to Reverend Eleroy and Harriet (Coe) Curtis. He graduated from Western Reserve College in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1871. He later became a trustee of that institution.

Curtis spent most of his life as a journalist for two Chicago, Illinois, newspapers, The Inter-Ocean from 1873 to 1886 and the Record Herald from 1887 to his death in 1911. Primarily a traveling correspondent, the articles he wrote concerning such places as China, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, and Latin American countries were published regularly. While working for the Inter-Ocean, Curtis interviewed the notorius James and Younger brothers.

Curtis married Cora Belle Kepler of Erie, Pennsylvania on December 23, 1874. During this time in his life, he accompanied General George Custer on a campaign against the Sioux Indians and covered the "Coushatta Massacre" in Louisiana.

A prolific writer, Curtis authored over thirty books, including many handbooks of countries of South America. His interest in Latin American countries and the improvement of relations between North and South America led to his being appointed Secretary of the South American Commission by President Chester A. Arthur, with the rank of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, in 1884, Director of the Bureau of the American Republics in 1890, and Chief of the Latin American Department of the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893.

From 1890 to 1893, Curtis served as Director of the Bureau of the American Republics (later known as the Pan-American Union). In 1892 he was a Special Envoy to Pope Leo XIII and the Queen Regent of Spain. In 1896 he served as a special agent for the subcommittee on Reciprocity and the Commercial Treaties for the United States House of Representatives' Committee on Ways and Means. In 1908, he was an appointed member of the Executive Committee of the Pan-American Committee of the United States.

Curtis died on October 5, 1911, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

From the guide to the William Eleroy Curtis Papers, 1877-1912, (Western Reserve Historical Society)