 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Hugh Ike Shott" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(December 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Hugh Ike Shott | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Senator fromWest Virginia | |
| In office November 18, 1942 – January 3, 1943 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph Rosier |
| Succeeded by | Chapman Revercomb |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromWest Virginia's 5th congressional district | |
| In office March 4, 1929 – March 3, 1933 | |
| Preceded by | James F. Strother |
| Succeeded by | John Kee |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1866-09-03)September 3, 1866 Staunton,Virginia |
| Died | October 12, 1953(1953-10-12) (aged 87) Bluefield,West Virginia |
| Political party | Republican |
| Children | Hugh Ike Shott, Jr. Jim H. Shott |
Hugh Ike Shott (September 3, 1866 – October 12, 1953) was an Americannewspaper editor, pioneerbroadcaster, andRepublican politician in theU.S. State ofWest Virginia.
Shott apprenticed as aprinter. He moved to the then-booming new city ofBluefield, West Virginia. He took control of theBluefield Daily Telegraph, the city's primary morning newspaper. Via straw parties, he also controlled the "competing" eveningMountain Sunset Review.
He was also involved in the railway mail service and waspostmaster for several years. In that era, postmaster was a political appointment given by thePresident of the United States.
He was elected to theUnited States House of Representatives in 1928 and re-elected in 1930. However, he was defeated for a third term in 1932, as well as in his attempt to run for theUnited States Senate in 1936.
In 1942, he was a candidate for the special Senate "short term" caused by the resignation ofMatthew M. Neely. He won and served from November 18, 1942 to January 3, 1943. The election was almost honorary, as the Senate only met twice during his term of office. He was not a candidate in the regular election, held on the same day, for the following regular six-year term. He was referred to as "Senator" for the rest of his life.
In 1928, the Daily Telegraph Printing Co. obtained a license for the only radio station in Bluefield at the time. Thecall letters stood for his initials –WHIS. In 1948, Jim and Hugh, Jr. started a companionFM station, WHIS-FM. The venture turned out to be premature, as there weren't enough FM receivers to make the station a success, and it was temporarily shut down. The FM station now has the call lettersWHAJ.
His control of both daily newspapers and both of the primary radio stations gave him a virtual newsmonopoly in his area. His newspaper, the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, was an unashamedly Republican publication. The radio stations and the television station that would later become part of the company were not organs of opinion.
In 1955 his heirs obtained, by the only special exception ever granted by theFederal Communications Commission, the soletelevision station in the city, which likewise carried his WHIS initials.
After extended litigation, theUnited States Supreme Court ordered that no one company could own both the primary AM and FM stations, the only TV station, and the only daily newspaper in the same town. WHIS-TV was sold and the call letters changed toWVVA in 1979. His name lives on in WHIS-AM although it also was later sold, as was the FM station he owned.
The Hugh Ike Shott, Jr. Foundation – Shott's youngest son, H.I. Shott, Jr., established afoundation in 1984 with the objective to help improve the social and economic quality of life within the trade area of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. Shott Jr. was with the newspaper founded by his father for more than 60 years.
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by James E. Jones | Republican Party nominee forU.S. Senator from West Virginia (Class 2) 1936,1942 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromWest Virginia's 5th congressional district 1929 – 1933 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 2) from West Virginia 1942 – 1943 Served alongside:Harley M. Kilgore | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 2 | ||
