E. P. Adler, Times Publisher, Dies

Funeral is arranged for Friday.

Death Follows Illness of Two Months; Was 76

Emanuel Philip Adler, Davenport newspaper publisher and Lee Syndicate president, civic leader and philanthropist, died in St. Luke's hospital at 5:50 a.m. Wednesday after an illness of two months' duration. He was 76 years old.

Mr. Adler's body was removed to Hill & Fredericks mortuary. Friends may call there Wednesday evening and Thursday afternoon, and then Thursday evening at his home, 2104 Main street, where his body will be taken late Thursday.

Funeral services will be held Friday at 2:30 p.m. in Temple Emanuel, Rabbi Abram Vassen Goodman and Rabbi Kurene Marmhelmer, at Congregation B'nai Jesurun, Des Moines, will officiate. Burial in Mt. Nebo cemetery will be private, as well as a brief prayer service in his home at 1 p.m., which will be attended by department heads of the Daily Times and the The Democrat, as well as executives of other newspapers of the Lee Syndicate.

Ailing since November

Altho ailing since last November, when he contracted a cold when a vacation trip to Excelsior Springs, Mo., he was in his office at infrequent intervals until Jan. 8. Then he was confined to his home, 2104 Main street for three weeks.

When he did not gain in his efforts to combat the cold and its effects, he was removed to the hospital. There his condition gradually became worse.

X-ray and laboratory examinations revealed complications, said Dr. Frederick H. Lamp, the principal attending physician, and consultants soon realized that it was an illness from which he could not recover.

Had "Will to Get Well".

His will to get well was a factor in prolonging his last illness, for while relatives, business and associates and friends were much concerned over his condition, his own thoughts were centered on the day. he would be able to return to his office. He had rarely been sick, and he looked on his illness a temporary thing. Particularly he regretted the necessity of postponing a trip he had planned to make in early February in the Caribbean.

Altho his weakness prevented his receiving visitors in the latter part of his illness, he was able to see publishers of the other newspapers in the Lee Syndicate, and one by one, with their wives, they called at the hospital during the final week.

It was Mr. Adler's often said request that when his death might come, flowers should be omitted and his friends make their contributions to their favorite charity. In fact, that was his view when on anniversary and other occasions there was inclination to remember him with flowers.

Son Survives.

Surving are the son Philip D. Adler, publisher of the Star Courier at Kewanee, Ill., his wife, the former Henrietta Bondi of Galesburg, and their daughter, Betty Adler II, now a student at the University of Illinois.

Other survivors are an uncle, Max Blade, of Milwaukee; Selma Blade-Waterman, Geneseo, Ill., Edna and Bertha Blade of Milwaukee, and Clint Adler of Ottumwa, all cousins; a niece, Mrs. David Gottlieb of Tiffin, Ohio.

Nationally he was known as a newspaper executive, publisher of The Daily Times, and head of a syndicate of 10 progressive newspapers--including The Democrat--published in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri and Nebraska.

Honors that came to him at various times for leadership in the newspaper field included the presidency of the Inland Press Association, vice president of the Associated Press, and recipient of the first annual award of the University of Minnesota for distinguished service in journalism in 1948.

In his home city of Davenport he was beloved for his many charitable and for his fearless, dynamic leadership in many civic activities.


Most important of his many public services in Davenport were serving as chairman of the committee which organized the Davenport Bank & Trust Co., in 1932, during a period of acute financial depress, and that of heading a campaign last year thru which more than $1,100,000 was secured for erection of a much needed addition to St. Luke's hospital.

It was not alone such spectacular achievements, however, but his ceaseless, continuing efforts in behalf of every organization and activity for the betterment of Davenport that won him the respect and admiration of all, and caused him to be called by many in recent years "Davenport's No. #1 citizen."

Born in Chicago.

"Mannie" Adler was born in the ruins of the fires swept Chicago, Sept. 30, 1872, just 11 months after the holocaust that almost wiped out his father's none-too-successful business. The family moved to Ottumwa, Ia.; then a town of 8,000, when he was four years old and there he grew to manhood, and got his start in the newspaper field.

Apprenticed as Printer.

When he was 13 years old it was necessary to quit school and help support the family so his father took the little bot to a print ship and announced proudly: "My boy Mannie" wants to be a printer." He insured that this decision would be welcomed by adding softly to the proprietor, "I will give you a dollar each week, and you give it to Mannie."
The boy worked 11 hours a day-just 10 on Saturday-setting type for the weekly German paper. He got to work soon enough to carry coat to heat the office and stayed late enough to weep out before leaving. Hours between he became a cracking good apprentice, and soon moved to other shops where the dollars he earned were not a disguised gift from his father.

The Democrat and Leader, Wednesday Evening, March 2, 1949


November 25, 1931 RKO Orpheum Theater opened in Davenport. In 1981, the Davenport Chamber of Commerce purchased it and donated it to the RiverCenter Performing Arts. This non-profit organization was organized to raise funds to restore the theater. They raised $4.25 million of which $1.3 was given by Lee Enterprises. In honor of this gift the theater was renamed the Adler Theater in honor of E.P. Adler and his son Philip D. Adler.

E. P. Adler, Times Publisher, Dies

Funeral is arranged for Friday.

Death Follows Illness of Two Months; Was 76

Emanuel Philip Adler, Davenport newspaper publisher and Lee Syndicate president, civic leader and philanthropist, died in St. Luke's hospital at 5:50 a.m. Wednesday after an illness of two months' duration. He was 76 years old.

Mr. Adler's body was removed to Hill & Fredericks mortuary. Friends may call there Wednesday evening and Thursday afternoon, and then Thursday evening at his home, 2104 Main street, where his body will be taken late Thursday.

Funeral services will be held Friday at 2:30 p.m. in Temple Emanuel, Rabbi Abram Vassen Goodman and Rabbi Kurene Marmhelmer, at Congregation B'nai Jesurun, Des Moines, will officiate. Burial in Mt. Nebo cemetery will be private, as well as a brief prayer service in his home at 1 p.m., which will be attended by department heads of the Daily Times and the The Democrat, as well as executives of other newspapers of the Lee Syndicate.

Ailing since November

Altho ailing since last November, when he contracted a cold when a vacation trip to Excelsior Springs, Mo., he was in his office at infrequent intervals until Jan. 8. Then he was confined to his home, 2104 Main street for three weeks.

When he did not gain in his efforts to combat the cold and its effects, he was removed to the hospital. There his condition gradually became worse.

X-ray and laboratory examinations revealed complications, said Dr. Frederick H. Lamp, the principal attending physician, and consultants soon realized that it was an illness from which he could not recover.

Had "Will to Get Well".

His will to get well was a factor in prolonging his last illness, for while relatives, business and associates and friends were much concerned over his condition, his own thoughts were centered on the day. he would be able to return to his office. He had rarely been sick, and he looked on his illness a temporary thing. Particularly he regretted the necessity of postponing a trip he had planned to make in early February in the Caribbean.

Altho his weakness prevented his receiving visitors in the latter part of his illness, he was able to see publishers of the other newspapers in the Lee Syndicate, and one by one, with their wives, they called at the hospital during the final week.

It was Mr. Adler's often said request that when his death might come, flowers should be omitted and his friends make their contributions to their favorite charity. In fact, that was his view when on anniversary and other occasions there was inclination to remember him with flowers.

Son Survives.

Surving are the son Philip D. Adler, publisher of the Star Courier at Kewanee, Ill., his wife, the former Henrietta Bondi of Galesburg, and their daughter, Betty Adler II, now a student at the University of Illinois.

Other survivors are an uncle, Max Blade, of Milwaukee; Selma Blade-Waterman, Geneseo, Ill., Edna and Bertha Blade of Milwaukee, and Clint Adler of Ottumwa, all cousins; a niece, Mrs. David Gottlieb of Tiffin, Ohio.

Nationally he was known as a newspaper executive, publisher of The Daily Times, and head of a syndicate of 10 progressive newspapers--including The Democrat--published in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri and Nebraska.

Honors that came to him at various times for leadership in the newspaper field included the presidency of the Inland Press Association, vice president of the Associated Press, and recipient of the first annual award of the University of Minnesota for distinguished service in journalism in 1948.

In his home city of Davenport he was beloved for his many charitable and for his fearless, dynamic leadership in many civic activities.


Most important of his many public services in Davenport were serving as chairman of the committee which organized the Davenport Bank & Trust Co., in 1932, during a period of acute financial depress, and that of heading a campaign last year thru which more than $1,100,000 was secured for erection of a much needed addition to St. Luke's hospital.

It was not alone such spectacular achievements, however, but his ceaseless, continuing efforts in behalf of every organization and activity for the betterment of Davenport that won him the respect and admiration of all, and caused him to be called by many in recent years "Davenport's No. #1 citizen."

Born in Chicago.

"Mannie" Adler was born in the ruins of the fires swept Chicago, Sept. 30, 1872, just 11 months after the holocaust that almost wiped out his father's none-too-successful business. The family moved to Ottumwa, Ia.; then a town of 8,000, when he was four years old and there he grew to manhood, and got his start in the newspaper field.

Apprenticed as Printer.

When he was 13 years old it was necessary to quit school and help support the family so his father took the little bot to a print ship and announced proudly: "My boy Mannie" wants to be a printer." He insured that this decision would be welcomed by adding softly to the proprietor, "I will give you a dollar each week, and you give it to Mannie."
The boy worked 11 hours a day-just 10 on Saturday-setting type for the weekly German paper. He got to work soon enough to carry coat to heat the office and stayed late enough to weep out before leaving. Hours between he became a cracking good apprentice, and soon moved to other shops where the dollars he earned were not a disguised gift from his father.

The Democrat and Leader, Wednesday Evening, March 2, 1949


November 25, 1931 RKO Orpheum Theater opened in Davenport. In 1981, the Davenport Chamber of Commerce purchased it and donated it to the RiverCenter Performing Arts. This non-profit organization was organized to raise funds to restore the theater. They raised $4.25 million of which $1.3 was given by Lee Enterprises. In honor of this gift the theater was renamed the Adler Theater in honor of E.P. Adler and his son Philip D. Adler.