William Garth Sr., chief executive officer of the Chicago Citizen Newspaper Group Inc. and chairman of the Chatham Business Association, died on Friday, September 23, 2016. He was 79.
A pillar in the community, Garth led the Citizen with a steady hand and worked hard to make the news operation the largest black-owned ABC-audited newspaper in the Midwest.
Starting out as an advertising salesman for the Citizen, he purchased the newspaper chain in 1980 from Gus Savage, a six-term Democratic congressman who represented Chicago’s South Side. The sale to Garth included the Chatham Citizen, Southend Citizen and the Chicago Weekend newspapers. Under Garth’s leadership, the Citizen flourished. Between 1984-1987, Garth grew the newspaper chain when he added the South Suburban and Hyde Park Citizen newspapers.
Garth once said, “I’ve been good to the Citizen, because the Citizen has been good to me.” With a current circulation of 112,000 newspapers and a following of 400,000 readers weekly, the Citizen established itself as an important source for the African-American community.
For years, the Citizen operated from a storefront on 87th Street near King Drive. As the business expanded, Garth stayed on Chicago’s South Side, where he purchased a 12,000-square-foot building on 806 East 78th St.
From the Citizen’s new home, Garth established a not-for-profit foundation in memory of his late son, Quentis B. Garth, where he served as chairman. Through the QBG Foundation, the organization helped over 49 students and disbursed over $1 million in scholarship awards to disenfranchised, inner-city youth in the Chicagoland area.
Garth deeply understood the power of the Black Press and was an active member in the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA). As the former president of Midwest Region III of the NNPA, he was also Region III advertising representative with the association. He also became the first black person to be elected president of the Illinois Press Association (IPA), the state’s largest newspaper association. He was the second black person in the nation elected president of a statewide press association.
He also sat on the board of the Government Affairs Committee of the IPA and served as a board member for more than 15 years. In addition, he was elected a stockholder in the Cook County South Suburban Publishers Association and, in 2009, was elected chairman of the Cook County Publishers Association for 2010. He also served as a board member of the Midwest Black Publishers Association.
“Garth was a master salesman, consummate strategist and visionary philanthropist,” said Al McFarlane, founder of Insight News and chairman of the National Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation. “He was part of the pantheon of legendary newspaper owners and civic leaders.”
In December 1998, Garth received the honor of being appointed to Governor-elect George Ryan’s Transition Team and was later appointed to the Board of Directors for the Illinois Inauguration 1998, Inc. He also maintained memberships and positions with several business organizations, served as a member of the transition team for the IDOT Dan Ryan Project, was a board member of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, a life-time member of the NAACP and a member of the Chatham Lions Club. In 2010, an honorary street was named after the Citizen publisher.
“The family would like to express our deepest gratitude and thanks for your prayers, cards, flowers, kind gestures, sympathy and show of support as we mourn the loss of my father,” said Garth’s son, Darrell Garth, president and publisher of Chicago Citizen Newspaper Group. “The overwhelming response from members of the community who expressed love, care and concern during this difficult time is greatly appreciated.”
Homegoing services are as follows:
Visitation: Friday, September 30 at A.A. Rayner Funeral Home, 318 East 71st St., Chicago.
Horse-led procession: 10-11 a.m. Saturday, October 1, from funeral home to church.
Wake: 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Saturday, October 1.
Funeral services: 12:15-2:15 p.m. Saturday, October 1 at New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church, 754 East 77th St. (Cottage Grove), Chicago.
Internment: Oakwood Cemetery, 1035 E. 67th St.
Repast: immediately following at the church.
In lieu of flowers please make checks payable to the Bill Garth Scholarship Fund. Checks can be delivered to and BMO Harris Bank or be mailed to: BMO Harris Bank. 1400 W. 18th St., Chicago, IL 60608
