Frank Knox - Quotation

Journalist and cabinet member, born in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. One of Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders in Cuba, he worked as a journalist in Michigan before becoming co-owner of the influential New Hampshire Manchester Union (1912–27). A brilliant administrator, he bought and revitalized the Chicago Daily News (1931–40). Although a Republican, he was secretary of the navy (1940–4) under Franklin Roosevelt.

William Franklin "Frank" Knox (January 1, 1874 – April 28, 1944) was the Secretary of the Navy under Franklin D.

William Franklin Knox was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Following that conflict, Knox became a newspaper reporter in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the beginning of a career that grew to include the ownership of several papers.

In 1930, Frank Knox became publisher and part owner of the Chicago Daily News. Knox, who was an internationalist and supporter of aid to Britain, became Secretary of the Navy in July 1940, as President Roosevelt strived to create bi-partisan appeal for his foreign and defense policies following the defeat of France.

As Secretary, Frank Knox followed Roosevelt's directive to expand the US Navy into a force capable of fighting in both the Atlantic and Pacific. Knox was able to block King's efforts to control procurement of war supplies, but on the whole the civilian side of naval affairs was run by Assistant Secretary James Forrestal, who was closer to Roosevelt than Knox. Secretary Knox had so much free time that after hours he ran the business affairs of his Chicago newspaper. Following a brief series of heart attacks, Secretary Knox died in Washington, D.C.

USS Frank Knox is named in his honor, but Fort Knox is named in honor of another famous Knox, Henry Knox. Following his death, his wife, Annie Reid Knox, established the Frank Knox Memorial Fellowships, which enable students from various countries in the Commonwealth to attend Harvard University for graduate study.

Quotation

Frank Knox as Secretary of the Navy is well known for his public comment concerning the openly publicised German massacre of civilians at the Czech village of Lidice in June 1942 following the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich.