Tennessean history

In 1910, the publishers purchased a controlling interest in the Nashville American.

When the American formally folded in 1911, some of its employees banded together to found the Nashville Democrat.

On March 3, 1933, the newspaper was placed under federal receivership, and Ashland City attorney and former Tennessean editorial writer Littleton J. Pardue was appointed to direct the paper.

In 1935, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation acquired a large portion of the paper's outstanding bonds.

Still suffering from effects of the Great Depression, the paper was sold at auction in 1937, when it was purchased for $850,000 by Silliman Evans, Sr. a former reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

On June 2, 1955, Silliman Evans Jr. was named president of the paper.

In 1957, Tennessean cartoonist Tom Little won a Pulitzer Prize for his cartoon, "Wonder Why My Parents Didn't Give Me Salk Shots?", encouraging parents to have their children immunized against polio.

In 1961, Silliman Evans Jr. died of a heart attack at age 36 while on his boat on Old Hickory Lake.

He had begun his career as a reporter at the paper in 1963.

In 1972, the Gannett Corporation purchased the Nashville Banner from the Stahlman family.

He would earn the additional title of publisher in 1973.

In 1976, when it was revealed that Tennessean reporter Jacqueline Srouji had for many years been working as an informant (and possibly agent provocateur) for the FBI, including spying on her colleagues at the paper, Seigenthaler fired her immediately.

In 1979, Gannett sold the Banner to a group of local investors including political figure John Jay Hooker, businessman Brownlee Currey and Franklin banker Irby Simpkins for about $25 million.

In 1989, Frank Sutherland was named editor.

Seigenthaler retired as publisher in 1991.

In September 1998, the paper launched Tennessean.com, its news and information website.

He was replaced by Craig Moon, who held the post until he moved into a corporate position with Gannett in 2002; Moon was later named publisher of USA Today.

He announced his retirement in September 2004.

In September 2006, Mark Silverman was announced as editor.

Carol Hudler was named publisher in 2009 when Leifeld retired.

Hudler was replaced by Laura Hollingsworth, who was named president and publisher in May 2013.