Randolph Apperson Hearst facts for kids

Randolph Apperson Hearst (born December 2, 1915 – died December 18, 2000) was an important newspaper publisher. He was part of the very rich and famous Hearst family. Randolph was the fourth of five sons of William Randolph Hearst and Millicent Hearst. He was also the father of Patty Hearst.

Growing Up: Randolph's Early Years

Randolph Apperson Hearst was born in New York City on December 2, 1915. He had a twin brother named David. Their parents were William Randolph Hearst and Millicent Hearst. Randolph went to the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey. He also studied at Harvard University for one year.

Randolph's Career in Newspapers

After finishing his studies, Randolph Hearst joined his family's business, the Hearst Corporation. This company owned many newspapers and magazines.

Early Work and Military Service

In the late 1930s, Randolph worked for The Atlanta Georgian, one of the Hearst family's newspapers. When that paper was sold in 1940, he moved to San Francisco. There, he worked for The San Francisco Call. In 1942, he joined the United States Army Air Forces. He worked in the Air Transport Command and became a captain.

Becoming a Publisher

After leaving the Army, Randolph became an associate publisher for the Oakland Post-Enquirer. In 1947, he went back to the San Francisco Call as an executive editor. By 1950, he became the publisher of the Call. This meant he was in charge of the newspaper.

Randolph Hearst was very involved in running the San Francisco Examiner for a long time. He eventually became the chairman of the Hearst board of directors. He held this important position from 1973 to 1996. Later, he retired and his nephew, George Randolph Hearst Jr., took over.

Family Life and Challenges

Randolph Hearst was married three times. His first marriage was to Catherine Wood Campbell on January 12, 1938. They had five daughters together: Catherine, Virginia, Patricia (Patty), Anne, and Victoria. Catherine Hearst was a Catholic and a conservative member of the University of California board.

Patty Hearst's Kidnapping

In 1974, Randolph's daughter Patty became famous around the country. She was kidnapped by a group called the Symbionese Liberation Army. Later, she was seen on video helping the group rob banks. After she was arrested, she said she was no longer part of the group. This difficult time put a lot of stress on Randolph and Catherine's marriage. They eventually divorced in 1982. After their divorce, Catherine Hearst moved to Beverly Hills.

Randolph Hearst married his second wife, Maria Cynthia Scruggs, in 1982. They divorced in 1987. That same year, he married his third wife, Veronica de Gruyter.

Later Life and Legacy

In 2000, Randolph Hearst bought a property called Eastover in Manalapan, Florida.

Randolph Hearst passed away on December 18, 2000, after having a stroke. His daughter, Virginia Hearst Randt, took his place as a trustee of his father's will. He was buried in the family's burial plot in Colma, California.

Randolph Hearst was a very wealthy man. His personal estate was estimated at $25 million in his will. However, much of his wealth, like insurance and trusts, was not included in that estimate. Before he died, Forbes magazine estimated his total wealth to be around $1.8 billion.