Lowell Thomas

Lowell Thomas was an American journalist who was most famous for his radio broadcasts on CBS.  He did the first television newscast ever, too, on NBC.  He was the journalist who traveled to the Middle East during World War I and publicized the exploits of TE Lawrence, writing the book With Lawrence in Arabia.  A character based on Thomas follows the hero around in the movie Lawrence of Arabia.

Lowell Thomas was a student at Victor High School in Victor, Colorado during the labor unrest in the Cripple Creek mining district.  The entire editorial and printing staff of the Victor Daily Record, with the exception of the editor's wife, were arrested and held in the National Guard's prison camp, for reporting on the National Guard's suspension of habeas corpus.  After graduation from high school, Lowell Thomas became editor of the Victor Daily Record.

The minute you get started reading into the history of little-remembered events, these oddball facts start popping up.  That's why I love the book Big Trouble by J. Anthony Lukas.  He starts with the assassination of Idaho Governor Frank Steunenberg.  But he gets into the press, the trial attorneys, private detectives, even baseball.  Read it!