MUNSEY, FRANK ANDREW (1854-1925) , American publisher and newspaper proprietor, was born at Mercer, Me., on Aug. 21, 1854. Educated in public schools, he began business in a country store, and became manager of the Western Union Telegraph office in Augusta, Maine. In 1882 he went to New York city and in the face of great obstacles established the Golden Argosy, a magazine for children, later changing this to the Argosy, a magazine for adult readers. In 1889 he founded Munsey's Week ly, replaced two years later by Munsey's Magazine, the first month ly of its class to sell for io cents. He also founded the All-Story Weekly and the Railroad Man's Magazine (1906), and published various other magazines. In 1891 he purchased the New York Star, changing its name to the Daily Continent and making it a pioneer attempt to give the news in tabloid form. Among his outstanding newspaper purchases were the Baltimore News (I 908 ), the New York Press (r 912 ) and the New York Sun, both morning and evening issues (1916). He merged the Press in the Sun. In 1920 he bought from the executors of James Gordon Bennett's estate the New York Evening Telegram and the New York Herald, together with its Paris issue. He combined the
Herald and the morning Sun as The Sun and the New York Herald, but in Oct. 1920, changed the name to the New York Herald, at the same time continuing the evening paper as the Sun. He died in New York city Dec. 22, 1925. By his will, after providing for relatives, he left the residue of his estate, estimated at $40,000, 000, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. His financial success was due to unremitting labour and great shrewdness. He was the author of several books for boys.