Esmond Harmsworth, 2nd Viscount Rothermere
Encyclopedia
Esmond Cecil Harmsworth, 2nd Viscount Rothermere (29 May 1898 – 12 July 1978) was a British Conservative
politician and press magnate.
Harmsworth's father, Harold Sidney Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere
, had been the financial wizard behind the creation of the Daily Mail
in partnership with his brother Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe
.
Esmond was educated at Eton College
and commissioned into the Royal Marine Artillery. He served as Aide-de-Camp
to the Prime Minister
at the Paris Peace Conference
. In 1919, he was elected Member of Parliament
for the Isle of Thanet
, one of the youngest MPs ever. He served until 1929.
After 1922, the Daily Mail and General Trust
company was created to control the newspapers that Lord Rothermere retained after Lord Northcliffe's death (The Times
, for example, was sold). As his father dabbled in association with the Nazis
and a flirtation with becoming King of Hungary
, it fell to Esmond Harmsworth to manage the businesses.
He was the chairman of Associated Newspapers
from 1932 to 1971, after which he assumed the titles of President and Director of Group Finance, and chairman of Daily Mail & General Trust Ltd, the parent company, from 1938 until his death.
Harmsworth ran the businesses with sufficient skill that they remain firmly under family control today, majority ownership being voted by his grandson, the 4th Viscount Rothermere, and a significant minority by Vyvyan Harmsworth, the 2nd Viscount's son by his third marriage. Never as flamboyant as his father or his son, he wielded his power on Fleet Street
alongside other press lords whose families have all relinquished control of their holdings today.
Harmsworth also had a significant impact on the development of Memorial University of Newfoundland
(the family has had a long-standing interest in Newfoundland, having built a paper mill in Grand Falls before the outbreak of the first world war). The University's first residence in Paton College
, known as Rothermere House, is named after the Viscount. Harmsworth was the first Chancellor of Memorial University and the benefactor who provided the funds to construct Rothermere House.
Harmsworth became 2nd Viscount Rothermere
in 1940. He married three times and had four children. He divorced one of his wives, the former Anne Charteris, and she married the writer Ian Fleming
in 1952. He was succeeded by his son, Vere Harold Esmond Harmsworth.
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and press magnate.
Harmsworth's father, Harold Sidney Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere
Harold Sidney Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere
Harold Sidney Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere was a highly successful British newspaper proprietor, owner of Associated Newspapers Ltd. He is known in particular, with his brother Alfred Harmsworth, the later Viscount Northcliffe, for the development of the London Daily Mail and Daily Mirror....
, had been the financial wizard behind the creation of the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
in partnership with his brother Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe
Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe
Alfred Charles William Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe rose from childhood poverty to become a powerful British newspaper and publishing magnate, famed for buying stolid, unprofitable newspapers and transforming them to make them lively and entertaining for the mass market.His company...
.
Esmond was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and commissioned into the Royal Marine Artillery. He served as Aide-de-Camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
at the Paris Peace Conference
Paris Peace Conference, 1919
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
. In 1919, he was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the Isle of Thanet
Isle of Thanet (UK Parliament constituency)
Isle of Thanet was a county constituency which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885, until it was abolished for the February 1974 general election....
, one of the youngest MPs ever. He served until 1929.
After 1922, the Daily Mail and General Trust
Daily Mail and General Trust
Daily Mail and General Trust plc is a British media conglomerate, one of the largest in Europe. In the UK, it has interests in national and regional newspapers, television and radio. The company has extensive activities based outside the UK, through Northcliffe Media, DMG Radio Australia, DMG World...
company was created to control the newspapers that Lord Rothermere retained after Lord Northcliffe's death (The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, for example, was sold). As his father dabbled in association with the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
and a flirtation with becoming King of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, it fell to Esmond Harmsworth to manage the businesses.
He was the chairman of Associated Newspapers
Associated Newspapers
Associated Newspapers is a large national newspaper publisher in the UK, which is a subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust. The group was established in 1905 and is currently based at Northcliffe House in Kensington...
from 1932 to 1971, after which he assumed the titles of President and Director of Group Finance, and chairman of Daily Mail & General Trust Ltd, the parent company, from 1938 until his death.
Harmsworth ran the businesses with sufficient skill that they remain firmly under family control today, majority ownership being voted by his grandson, the 4th Viscount Rothermere, and a significant minority by Vyvyan Harmsworth, the 2nd Viscount's son by his third marriage. Never as flamboyant as his father or his son, he wielded his power on Fleet Street
Fleet Street
Fleet Street is a street in central London, United Kingdom, named after the River Fleet, a stream that now flows underground. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s...
alongside other press lords whose families have all relinquished control of their holdings today.
Harmsworth also had a significant impact on the development of Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland, is a comprehensive university located primarily in St...
(the family has had a long-standing interest in Newfoundland, having built a paper mill in Grand Falls before the outbreak of the first world war). The University's first residence in Paton College
Paton College
Located on the eastern end of the Memorial University of Newfoundland's St. John's campus, Paton College and nearby Burton's Pond Apartments are residences operated by the university's department of Housing, Food and Conference Services. Paton College offers traditional dormitory style housing...
, known as Rothermere House, is named after the Viscount. Harmsworth was the first Chancellor of Memorial University and the benefactor who provided the funds to construct Rothermere House.
Harmsworth became 2nd Viscount Rothermere
Viscount Rothermere
Viscount Rothermere, of Hemsted in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1919 for the press lord Harold Harmsworth, 1st Baron Harmsworth. He had already been created a Baronet, of Horsey in the County of Norfolk, on 14 July 1910, and Baron...
in 1940. He married three times and had four children. He divorced one of his wives, the former Anne Charteris, and she married the writer Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
in 1952. He was succeeded by his son, Vere Harold Esmond Harmsworth.