[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 26, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1140-E1141]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IN RECOGNITION OF THE PATRIOT LEDGER'S 175TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 26, 2012

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 175th 
birthday of The Patriot Ledger, the long-standing newspaper of record 
for Massachusetts' South Shore communities.
  Headquartered and published in Quincy since its inception, The 
Patriot Ledger is one of Massachusetts' oldest local daily newspapers 
and serves twenty-six communities on the South Shore with approximately 
55,000 residents in its circulation. Founded on January 7, 1837, the 
paper was originally known as the Quincy Patriot and was once the 
hometown newspaper of President John Quincy Adams. When Adams was 
serving in the House of Representatives following his presidency, he 
frequently wrote letters to the editor regarding the many issues that 
the House was facing at the time, such as the abolishment of slavery, 
the admission of Texas as a state, and the heated debates that Members 
of Congress often had with one another. The Patriot Ledger has served 
as a trusted chronicler of local and national news ever since, and it 
continues to be one of the region's most popular daily papers.
  In addition to providing important and reliable news to the South 
Shore every day, The Patriot Ledger has frequently been at the 
forefront of many aspects of newspaper production and technology. In 
the 1950's, experimentation by the paper's printing staff led to the 
development of the first practical photo-typesetting machine, an 
innovation that attracted the attention of newspaper executives around 
the world. The paper was also among the first in the nation to 
establish zoned editions for local news and advertising, and it paved 
the way in establishing many other modern features of the print news 
industry. Such features pioneered by The Patriot Ledger include the use 
of 35-millimeter photography, the transmission of daily editions to the 
printer via facsimile, the use of a computer editing system, and the 
installation of a two-way radio system for spot news coverage. While 
many newspapers struggle with the technological advancements of the 
twenty-first century, The Patriot Ledger continues to grow and move 
forward.
  As a result of its excellence in reporting and its frequent 
innovation, The Patriot Ledger has been the recipient of many awards 
throughout its 175-year tenure. It was named as the New England Press 
Association's Newspaper of the Year in 2005 and 2006, and won the title 
of the New England Newspaper Association's Newspaper of the Year in 
2007. Among the awards The Patriot Ledger received in 2011 were seven 
national journalism awards from Suburban Newspapers of America and six 
additional awards from the New England Associated Press News Executives 
Association. Already this year, the paper has been awarded two national 
prizes from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, 
including the General Excellence award for the paper's business 
section. Notably, The Patriot Ledger was the only daily paper with a 
circulation of less than 100,000 to be recognized.
  Mr. Speaker, it brings me great pride to honor The Patriot Ledger as 
the newspaper celebrates 175 years of publication. I fondly remember 
reading it when I was young and look forward to reading it for many 
more years to come. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing this 
great paper that has long been woven into the fabric of our country's 
history.

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