San Francisco
County
Biographies
ETTORE PATRIZI
PATRIZI, ETTORE, Newspaper Editor and
Publisher, San Francisco, California, was born in Italy in the year 1870, the
son of Giovanni Patrizi and Filomena
(Giontella) Patrizi. He is unmarried.
Mr. Patrizi
received his education at the Institute of Superior Studies of Milan, Italy,
graduating in 1891 as a Civil Engineer.
For nearly two years after leaving school Mr. Patrizi
followed the vocation of Civil Engineer in the Italian Government Service. But prior to graduation he had, following a
natural inclination, written for several newspapers of Milan, and in 1893 gave
up engineering to come to America as a special correspondent for two large
Italian dailies and as Commissioner of Exhibits for several firms of Italy and
artists of Milan at the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago.
…….…Patrizi has
been a resident of the U.S., chiefly in San Francisco. When San Francisco decided to hold a
Midwinter Fair, following the close of the Chicago World’s Fair, Mr. Patrizi was one of the first to agree to lend his exhibits,
which had formed an important part of the Italian display at Chicago. He decided to remain in San Francisco and
immediately engaged as Editor of the “Daily L’Italia.” In 1898 he became sole owner and publisher. It was a four-page publication with a
subscription list scarcely more than 1000 and run along old-fashioned lines, as
were other U.S. Italian papers.
Mr. Patrizi
reorganized “L’Italia” and injected into it the vim
and ginger characteristic of its American contemporaries. He increased it from four to eight pages and
published in the morning instead of the afternoon; installed a special
telegraphic service, and illustrated it profusely. He immediately began taking an active
interest in local affairs. His methods
were followed by other Italian publishers of the U.S., including New York. Mr. Patrizi has
made of “L’Italia” the most up-to-date of all foreign
papers on the Coast and increased its circulation until it is larger than that
of any foreign newspaper west of Chicago.
Mr. Patrizi
takes a wide interest in operatic enterprises and was instrumental in having
various important Italian opera companies, of world famous artists, appear in
San Francisco. In this and other ways he
has contributed largely to the uplifting of the musical standard of the San
Francisco public, and for several years was one of the most enthusiastic
advocates for the construction of a grand opera house in San Francisco. He had even carried his plans to the point of
framing a project for the construction of such an edifice, when the San
Francisco Musical Association proposed the building of a Municipal Opera House,
whereupon Mr. Patrizi withdrew his plan in favor of
the latter.
Mr. Patrizi has
always lent his assistance to any worthy cause or enterprise in San Francisco,
whether limited to his countrymen or the general welfare. As a leader of the Italian residents of the
city, he has done much to better their condition. He was one of the original advocates of the
1915 World’s Fair and was chosen as a member of the Committee on Ways and
Means.
Mr. Patrizi is
Director, Italian Chamber of Commerce, and inspector, Italian Free School of
San Francisco. He is President, L’Italia Press Co., Inc., and interested in other
enterprises, among them Zappettini-Perasso Co., Inc.,
which has agency of Italian steamship lines running into San Francisco.
Transcribed by Suzanne Wood.
Source:
Press Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 875,
International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Boston, Atlanta. 1913.
© 2007 Suzanne Wood.