Geoffrey Dawson facts for kids

George Geoffrey Dawson (born October 25, 1874 – died November 7, 1944) was a very important editor of a famous newspaper called The Times. He led the newspaper from 1912 to 1919 and again from 1923 to 1941. His first last name was Robinson, but he changed it in 1917. In 1919, he married Margaret Cecilia Lawley.

Early Life and Education

Geoffrey Dawson was born on October 25, 1874, in Skipton, Yorkshire, England. He was the oldest child of George Robinson, who was a banker.

He went to two well-known schools: Eton College and Magdalen College, Oxford. He was a very good student. In 1898, he became a fellow at All Souls College, Oxford, and he kept this position for his whole life.

After finishing school, Dawson decided to work for the government. He started at the Post Office in 1898. Later, he moved to the Colonial Office. In 1901, he became an assistant private secretary to Joseph Chamberlain, who was in charge of the colonies. That same year, Dawson got a similar job helping Lord Milner in South Africa. Lord Milner was a high commissioner there.

Working in South Africa

As Lord Milner's assistant, Dawson helped set up the British government in South Africa. This happened after the Second Boer War. While he was there, he joined a group of young government workers known as "Milner's kindergarten". This group included people like Leo Amery and John Buchan. They all wanted to unite the British Empire more closely. They later became important members of a group called the "round table of Empire Loyalists".

Career in Journalism

Lord Milner wanted to make sure local newspapers supported his ideas when he returned to England. He convinced the owners of the Johannesburg Star newspaper to make Dawson its editor.

Dawson later became the correspondent for The Times in Johannesburg in 1911. This caught the attention of Lord Northcliffe, who owned The Times. Lord Northcliffe then made Dawson the editor of The Times in July 1912.

First Time as Editor

Dawson was not happy with how Lord Northcliffe used The Times. Northcliffe used the newspaper to push his own political ideas. Because of this, Dawson left his job as editor in February 1919.

Return to The Times

Dawson came back to The Times in 1923 after Lord Northcliffe passed away. The newspaper was then owned by John Jacob Astor V. Dawson became close to the Astor family, especially through Bob Brand, who was related to them.

During his second time as editor, Dawson also started using the newspaper to promote his own ideas. He became a leader among journalists who tried to influence national policy. They did this by writing private letters to important politicians.

Dawson was good friends with both Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain. He strongly supported a policy called appeasement. This policy aimed to avoid war by giving in to some of Adolf Hitler's demands in Germany. Dawson was also a member of the Anglo-German Fellowship.

News reports from Berlin, written by Norman Ebbut, warned about Germany preparing for war. However, these reports were often changed in London to support the appeasement policy. Dawson once explained that he tried to remove anything from the paper that might upset the Germans. He also added small things to soothe them.

Later Years and Retirement

In March 1939, The Times changed its mind and started calling for war preparations. Dawson was a lifelong friend of Edward Wood, who later became Lord Halifax. Lord Halifax was the Foreign Secretary from 1938 to 1940. Dawson supported the policies of the Baldwin and Chamberlain governments during this time.

Dawson retired in September 1941. He died on November 7, 1944, in London. Robert Barrington-Ward took over as editor after him.

See also

In Spanish: Geoffrey Dawson para niños