In 1943, Telegram-Tribune shared Christmas cheer along with hopes for end of WWII
Christmas season in 1943 was filled with news from the war fronts as the United States began to see the tide turn from the previous year of retreats.
General Dwight Eisenhower was put in charge of planning for an invasion of Europe that was over six months in the future.
Eligible men of fighting age were generally in the armed services or working in areas deemed essential to the war effort.
Gasoline, tires and basic grocery items were rationed, and many businesses across the country were hiring women for the first time; Rosie the Riveter was on posters.
Though both the Tribune and Telegram in San Luis Obispo had employed women on staff for decades, this might be the earliest time when a majority of the newsroom writers were women.
During the war, there was an endless parade of news. The usually eight-page Telegram-Tribune newsroom had a staff of four people and two each in the advertising, circulation and printing departments to put out the paper six afternoons a week.
For decades the Telegram-Tribune had a tradition of printing a page offering a Christmas wish to readers.
At some later point, a nostalgic or vindictive person scratched over several of the names, probably those who had left the paper, and that is how it was photographed for microfilm.
The page listed Robert W. Goodell as editor, along with A.C. Phillips, Sam Luis, Jayne V. Bellin and Cecilia Carpenter.
Sam Luis was likely an inside joke with the readers, or an attempt to rig the ratio between women and men. For many years the editorial page had a periodic feature of one-line opinions written by “Sam Luis.”
The publisher, J.R. Paulsen, had formerly been the editor but took over what was usually the split roll of editor and business manager at the John P. Scripps newspapers.
During the war was the only time any of the 12 JPSN papers had a publisher.
The page wished readers a Merry Christmas and a bright, victorious New Year.
The usual seasonal ribbon and bell were joined with drawings of soldiers and a sailor, far away, smiling as they got packages from home.
It would be the better part of two more difficult years to see the victory wish fulfilled.
This story was originally published December 25, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
