Voting Station

Francis Pharcellus Church

Please vote to return to collections.

Publisher

The Resume

    (February 22, 1839-April 11, 1906)
    Born in Rochester, New York
    Established The Army and Navy Journal in 1863
    Co-founded Galaxy Magazine (later Atlantic Monthly) in 1866
    Head Editorial writer for The New York Sun
    Wrote the famous editorial, 'Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus' (1897)

Why he might be annoying:

    His 'Yes, Virginia' piece was the seventh item on the New York Sun's editorial page, running below an editorial about chainless bicycles.
    He wrote an article essentially enabling parents to keep gas-lighting their kids about the existence of Santa Claus.
    His writing style was known for being stodgy, curmudgeonly, and cynical - quite the opposite of what his editorial gained fame for.
    His message has been appropriated over the years by celebrities promoting their own commercial interests (example: Macy's running an ad featuring spokespeople like Martha Stewart, Jessica Simpson and Donald Trump quoting excerpts from it).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was portrayed by Alfred Molina and Charles Bronson.
    He was a war correspondent during the American Civil War.
    He was a member of the Century Association.
    An avowed atheist who had contempt for religion, he initially refused to write the editorial, or to allow his name to be attached to the piece.
    'Yes, Virginia...' became the most reprinted editorial to run in an English-language newspaper, for over a century.
    His response to Virginia is heartwarming in its simplicity: it explains the existence of faith and its power in a way that can be understood.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 8 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying