| Judson C. Welliver | |
| Birth Date: | 13 August 1870 |
| Birth Place: | Aledo, Illinois |
| Death Place: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality: | American |
| Known For: | Widely regarded as the first presidential speechwriter |
| Occupation: | Newspaper journalist, presidential speechwriter |
Judson Churchill Welliver (August 13, 1870 – April 14, 1943) was a "literary clerk" to President Warren G. Harding and is usually credited as being the first presidential speechwriter.[1]
Judson Welliver was born on August 13, 1870, in Aledo, Illinois.[2]
He married his wife, Jane Douglas Hutchins, on July 3, 1899. They had four children—Edward M., Allan J., Sarah H., and Jane Douglas.[3]
By 1909, Welliver had earned a reputation as "one of the most able journalists in the country".[2] He worked variously at the Fort Dodge Messenger, the Sioux City Journal, and the Des Moines Leader before becoming the editor of the Sioux City Tribune, a position which he held until 1904.[2] That year, Wellington joined the staff of the Washington Times, where he was noted for his support of the Progressives.[2] He wrote articles for McClure's Magazine and Hampton's during the muckraker period.[4]
He was sent to Europe by President Roosevelt in 1907 to report on the waterway and railroad systems of Europe and Great Britain.[3] (The report was published in 1908.) He managed London correspondence and European news for the New York Sun from 1917 until 1918.[3]
Welliver handled publicity for Harding during his 1920 presidential campaign, and began working as a "literary clerk" to President Harding on March 4, 1921.[1] [3] Welliver left his speech-writing position at the White House on November 1, 1925 (under the presidency of Calvin Coolidge), accepting a position at the American Petroleum Institute for a better salary.[3] [5] After he resigned from the American Petroleum job in 1927, Welliver went on to become editor of the Washington Herald in 1928.[3] He was also assistant to the president of the Pullman Company from 1928 to 1931.[3]
Welliver died of cancer in Philadelphia on April 14, 1943,[3] at the age of 72.[6]
The Judson Welliver Society, a bipartisan social club composed of former presidential speechwriters, is named in his honor.