journalist, author, historian, b. Milwaukee. Largely self-educated, he developed scholarly and literary interests under the influence of his school-teacher mother. He began his journalistic career as a compositor for the Milwaukee Sentinel, and after 1875 was a special writer for the Sentinel and a reporter for the Evening Wisconsin. He held these positions until about 1882, when he became editor of various departments of the Evening Wisconsin, and, from 1905 to 1918, was its editor-in-chief. Gregory was prominent in academic, professional, and cultural organizations, and was a prolific writer. Among the books, articles, and pamphlets he produced was a volume of poetry, A Beauty of Thebes and Other Verses (1892). Between 1931 and 1933 he edited four four-volume series: History of Milwaukee, Southeastern Wisconsin, Southwestern Wisconsin, and West Central Wisconsin. He served on the Republican county committee and attended several national party conventions. He was professor of journalism at Marquette Univ. (1919), and a member of its board of regents (1906-1911). From 1919 to 1923 he was secretary of the Wisconsin War History Commission. He headed the War History Division of the State Historical Society (1923-1925), and served as a curator for the society (1940-1946). Who's Who in Amer., 11 (1920); Wis. Mag. Hist., 31; Milwaukee Journal, Apr. 13, 1947.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the John Goadby Gregory Papers for details.

View a related article at Wisconsin Magazine of History Archives.

View newspaper clippings at Wisconsin Local History and Biography Articles.

Learn More

Dictionary of Wisconsin History

Explore more than 1,600 people, places and events in Wisconsin history.

[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]