-- By Francis Pharcellus Church --
In September of 1897, Eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York’s Sun and a response was printed as an editorial. The editorial response, written by Francis Pharcellus Church, has since become history’s most reprinted newspaper editorial in over 50 languages.
Virginia gained a minor level of national celebrity. She went on to enroll at the Hunter College and in 1910 she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. Two years later in 1912, O’Hanlon received her Masters in education from Columbia University. Virginia earned her doctorate degree from Fordham University in 1930. O’Hanlon went on to become an assistant principal in the New York public school system.
Francis Pharcellus Church was born in Rochester, New York and graduated from Columbia University. He was a war correspondent for the New York Times during the civil war. He published Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Clause at the age of 56 years old. He lives until 1906 and passed at the age of 67. The local daily published her letter every Christmas season until 1949.
