Henry Watterson Henry Watterson Henry Watterson ( February 16 1840 – December 22 1921 ) was a United States journalist who founded the Louisville Courier-Journal . Born in Washington , D.C. , the son of Harvey Magee Watterson , a journalist and Congressman , Watterson became a newspaper reporter early in his life . He fought for the Confederate States of America under General Nathan B. Forrest during the American Civil War , and edited a pro-Confederate newspaper , the Chattanooga Rebel . After the war , Watterson edited newspapers in several states before settling down in Louisville , Kentucky to edit the Louisville Journal . When that paper merged with the Louisville Courier in 1868 , the Courier-Journal was formed . This paper soon gained national attention for its excellent reporting . He was a leader of the Liberal Republican movement in 1872 . By 1876 he was a Democrat ; his proposal for hundreds of thousands of Democrats to march on Washington to force the election of Tilden angered President Ulysses S. Grant , who noted that nobody threatened Grant . Watterson was called `` the last of the great personal journalists '' , writing colorful and controversial editorials on many topics . He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1918 for two editorials supporting U.S. entry into World War I , and he remained the editor until 1919 . During his tenure as editor , Watterson was a Democratic representative in Congress from 1876 to 1877 , and was a five-time delegate to the National Democratic Convention , where , in 1892 , he received a smattering of votes for the vice presidential nomination . He became widely known as a lecturer and orator . His publications include History of the Spanish-American War ( 1899 ) and The Compromises of Life ( 1902 ) . Trivia His nickname was `` Marse Henry '' . Watterson was the nephew of Thomas Stanley Matthews . The Henry Watterson Expressway , I-264 in Louisville , was named after him . `` Marse '' Watterson appears on an 83p commemorative stamp from the Isle of Man Post Office , as part of a series honoring Manx-Americans . Further reading J. F. Wall , Marse Henry , a biography See also History of Louisville , Kentucky List of famous Louisvillians External links Works by Henry Watterson at Project Gutenberg Online version of Watterson 's memoirs from a UNC-Chapel Hill website Preceded by : Edward Y. Parsons U.S. Congressman , Kentucky 5th District 1876 - 1877 Succeeded by : Albert S. Willis Persondata NAME Watterson , Henry ALTERNATIVE NAMES SHORT DESCRIPTION United States journalist DATE OF BIRTH February 16 1840 PLACE OF BIRTH Washington , D.C. , United States DATE OF DEATH December 22 1921 PLACE OF DEATH unknown Categories : 1840 births | 1921 deaths | History of Louisville | Kentucky politicians | Members of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky | Newspaper publishers of the 19th century ( people ) | Newspaper publishers of the 20th century ( people ) | People from Louisville Henry+Watterson Henry Watterson U.S. Congressman , Kentucky 5th District Edward Y. Parsons Albert S. Willis 1876 - 1877 Watterson , Henry United States journalist February 16 1840 Washington , D.C. , United States December 22 1921 unknown 