Bonfils, Frederick Gilmer

Frederick Gilmer Bonfils, (born December 21, 1860, Troy, Missouri, U.S.—died February 2, 1933, Denver, Colorado), publisher who made the Denver Post into a crusading newspaper of nationwide prominence in the United States.

Bonfils entered the U.S. Military Academy in 1878 but resigned in 1881. With Harry H. Tammen (1856–1924), he purchased the Post in 1895. They dedicated the paper to “the service of the people” and conducted spirited campaigns against crime and corruption; above the door of the Post building, they inscribed “O Justice, when expelled from other habitations, make this thy dwelling place.” Their exposés often involved them in lawsuits, and in 1900 an irate lawyer attempted to kill them. In addition to exposés, Bonfils and Tammen employed many other techniques of yellow journalism, including sensationalism, publicity stunts, and fearless political crusades. Under their direction, the Post became an influential and widely circulated newspaper.