The 1958 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts

BIOGRAPHY of Robert McCulloch Dick

As editor and publisher of the Philippines Free Press, R. McCULLOCH DICK’s professional obsession for fifty years has been publishing a just magazine to serve the public interest. Often quoted solemnly to his staff has been a poem by Joseph Story in which he found expression of his journalistic creed:

"Thus shall the Press, the People's right maintain,

Unaw'd by influence and unbrib'd by gain

Here patriot Truth her glorious precepts draw

Pledg'd to Religion, Liberty and Law."

ROBERT McCULLOCH DICK was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on January 22, 1873. His parents were the former Lily Smith and John Dick, a businessman. He attended a public school from the age of four and, at the age of 12, entered a private academy where he finished a three-year course in two, while also taking a two-year course in German at night school. Childhood memories are of bitter poverty after his father's untimely death, which left the mother, known, he proudly recalls, as "the honest widow Dick," as the family's sole support. Faced in his early teens with earning his own living, he apprenticed to a mapmaking concern in Edinburgh.

At the age of 19, he emigrated to the United States where he first made his way doing odd jobs, including working as a farmhand in California. Later, he enrolled at Park College in Missouri. As a self-supporting student, working after classes and studying at night, he finished the preparatory course and college in five instead of six years, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1899.

A severe case of typhoid fever contracted after graduation briefly impeded his progress and ultimately determined his future. Upon recovering, he secured a job on the weekly New Rochelle Paragraph, in New Rochelle, New York. His advancement was rapid during the year he was with this periodical, and life would have seemed good had not his hair begun to fall out as a result of the typhoid fever. When all remedies for hair restoration failed, his doctor suggested that a sea voyage might help. Promptly resigning his newspaper job, he signed aboard the "Mary L. Cushing" as an ordinary seaman with wages of US$14 a month. The ship regularly plied between New York and Hong Kong, making each leg of the voyage in five months. Since the sea air seemed to help his problem, he signed off in Hong Kong, intending to find work on a local English-language newspaper. Times, however, were hard and there were no vacancies. His cash had nearly run out when he learned from an American journalist that English-speaking newsmen were needed in the Philippines. Lacking sufficient funds for the fare, he persuaded the manager of a British shipping company to advance him a ticket and set sail for Manila.

Shortly after his arrival, in October 1900, DICK found employment as a reporter on the Cablenews-American, one of the pioneer American-owned papers in the Philippines. With savings from his first pay envelopes, the shipping company manager in Hong Kong was repaid. In 1902, he transferred to the then American-owned Manila Times as a court reporter. On this assignment he coined the name "Juan de la Cruz" in generic reference to Filipinos; quickly accepted, it is still in common usage.

Soon promoted to city editor of the Manila Times and then to editor, he was earning the munificent salary for those days of P550 a month, equivalent to US$275, when new management took over, in 1908, and reduced his salary by US$25 a month. By this time, he had saved P8,000 and, eager to be on his own, he resigned.

Looking around for opportunities, he heard of an English-language magazine, the Philippines Free Press, that had been started as an organ of the Moral Progress League and had closed down after a few issues. The American publisher of the defunct weekly, when asked by DICK what the assets were, wryly pointed to a small stack of paper in one corner of the room. A sale was made; DICK bought the name, goodwill and subscription list for one peso.

Setting up shop in an office on the second floor of a building on the Escolta where the Manila Daily Bulletin was published, DICK used a work table for a bed and arranged for the Bulletin press to print his magazine. The first issue came out on August 29, 1908. For all his idealism, care for quality and personal scrimping—his only indulgence was a bottle of soft drink at the end of a week—the Philippines Free Press failed to attract sufficient readers and DICK's P8,000 was soon gone. A loan of P2,000 from a friend kept him going, but still subscriptions were too few. Refusing to give up, he borrowed Pl,000 from another friend and continued printing the magazine. At this juncture, valuable unsolicited assistance came from Theo S. Rogers, who was to become DICK's life-long friend and associate.

Rogers, a happy-go-lucky Bostonian of Irish descent, had enlisted in the army at the age of 16 and come to the Philippines in 1899. After the fighting ended, he joined the contingent of American soldiers who laid down their arms and took up schoolbooks to teach. Then an instructor at the Manila Trade School and working at the Bureau of Education, Rogers gave DICK leads on political developments in the country and, more important, garnered a few advertisements for the Free Press from his host of acquaintances. Recognizing in his new-found friend abilities the Free Press needed if it was to prosper, DICK asked Rogers to join as advertising manager. This assignment Rogers tackled with gusto; his many connections with prominent businessmen made soliciting advertisements a challenging game at which he excelled. The antithesis of the shy, self-effacing DICK, who disdained social gatherings and had only a few intimates, Rogers was a bon vivant, witty and incurably gregarious, but their differences in personality, taste and talent were complementary. Fifty years later, the two are still together as editor and publisher and business manager, respectively, of the enterprise.

Readership grew slowly in the initial years, but the following was loyal, particularly among schoolteachers for whom the magazine was not only a source of news but also a useful teaching aid. At first writing everything in the magazine himself in his precise, crisp, scholarly style, DICK, set the tone; the Free Press stood for democratic education, Philippine independence and, meanwhile, good government by the American administrators. It could be counted upon for integrity and independence of view.

As finances permitted, DICK hired a Spanish editor, who ably conveyed his ideas in a new Spanish section designed to reach a wider adult Filipino audience. The first to encourage Filipino writers in English, DICK offered prizes for the best short stories and poems in addition to attractive checks for accepted contributions. Next, he began to train a staff of Filipino newsmen.

Strong-willed, gifted and courageous, DICK expected new staff members to adhere to the same high standards he set for himself. "No one is perfect," he stressed, "but everyone should strive for perfection."

While encouraging his staff to be crusaders and expose venalities, he at the same time admonished them: "Be truthful. Be fair. Be accurate in your facts. When you have come to enjoy attacking people, it is time to stop."

An unbreakable code of his own and extended to the magazine was never to interfere with a man's religion: "Belief is between a man and his God. If he sees Divine Light in the sun that is none of our business."

Mr. DICK has been difficult to work with, but newcomers have soon learned not to take offense at his insistence on meticulous writing when they see that he demands more of himself. He wants subordinates to reason out their mistakes; a pet peeve is an "I'm sorry" reply. To a reporter who had obviously written a story hurriedly, he cautioned:

"You should take your time. . . Haste is the enemy of good writing." Particularly impatient with trivial mistakes that could be avoided, he sharply calls attention to oversights in proofreading, grammatical errors, misspelling and incorrect division of a word at the end of a line—standard equipment has been several large dictionaries which staffers are expected to use. If a choice of words is wrong, he patiently explains the reason for another word. Placing high value on correct spelling, DICK customarily asks applicants to spell a few words like "accumulate" and "accommodate" before considering their employment. For a writer who showed off his erudition by using high-sounding words, the editor had the reminder that the average Free Press reader of high school level could not be expected to have command of a large vocabulary and would miss his meaning. From the first issue to the present, Dick has read proof, usually with a magnifying glass, checking punctuation and the smallest mistake, even in advertisements. When he traveled abroad at regular intervals in the 1930s, galley proofs were sent to him by airmail and by return airmail came his notes to the editorial staff on errors. In ready recognition of work well done but not given to easy praise, his notes of appreciation to staff members are as carefully composed as essays.

Orderliness has been for Mr. DICK a way of life: "Order is Heaven's first law," is a frequent quotation to his staff. In his old-fashioned roll-top desk with many cubbyholes, the smallest item is always in its proper place. Any staff member who leaves his own desk in disarray usually finds a note in the morning from Mr. DICK and, if it is not tidied by the afternoon, a sarcastic rebuke is apt to follow. Included in Mr. DICK’s daily morning inspection are the washrooms where carelessness has on occasion raised his ire; a toilet clogged with copy paper he once cleaned out himself, dumped the malodorous mess in the middle of the office floor and stalked out.

Along with his demand for order and cleanliness goes a personal discipline and respect for this attribute in others. Himself soft-spoken as a rule, he has a low regard for those who raise their voices at the slightest provocation. Of his own quick temper he is apologetic, but nonetheless insistent that the acts which trigger it are to be corrected. His dress reflects his neat, clean mind. After a long day of hard work, he manages to look fresh in his immaculate white shirt and linen suit, white buntal or cotton hat, brown knitted tie and well-shined shoes.

A true Scot, he dislikes any form of waste. He does not expect his personnel to be frugal but insists they live within their means. In the office, though now walking with difficulty, he still stoops to pick up a pin, thumbtack or paper clip and place it on the desk nearest him with the comment, "This cost money." To improve the quality of the Free Press he has not stinted but for himself thrift has been the rule. Remembering his mother's warning "too much comfort is a sin," his office remains without airconditioning, for his noonday siestas an army cot suffices and he has driven the same car since 1948.

Under the stern, austere, exterior is a warm heart. A former reporter recalls that Mr. DICK, as an employer, was extremely kind and considerate, daily inquiring about the well-being of employees of all ranks and their families. Concerned about the health of his staff, he urges those who hunch to sit straight and for proofreading use of a magnifying glass to save "precious eyes." If a staff member is in financial trouble for reasons other than squandering his money, Mr. DICK is quick to help. During the 1930s, before vacations and other employee benefits were written into contracts at the insistence of labor unions, Mr. DICK introduced a two-week vacation leave for all employees each year and, when staff members fell ill, the Free Press continued their full salaries and paid their hospital bills. Old employees were given life pensions and families of those who died by accident received generous compensations.

Mr. DICK avoids publicity about his many philanthropies. A bachelor, he lives among the poor in a comfortable, old frame house in Tenejeros, Malabon, Rizal, and the fisherfolk who are his neighbors know from experience that they can count upon him in need. He has made regular anonymous contributions to buy food for the poor: "I do not think we can tackle the problem of poverty by doles," he said, in giving a staff member money for a particular group, "but this will help. The poor will always be with us." Another recipient of his gifts has been the American-Philippine Guardian Association, to provide education primarily for illegitimate offspring of American GIs and their Filipina friends.

While reporters and editors have not been pressed into a mold but encouraged to develop their own style, the Free Press bears distinctly the stamp of R. MCCULLOCH DICK's personal traits and his standards. Sometimes seemingly abusive because of its unrelenting exposure of neglect, bungling and corruption on the part of officials and leading citizens both before and after independence, the Free Press has championed the general good, no matter what the cost or risk, but always fairly.

One editorial attack led during the American administration to near deportation of editor DICK. Though Governor General Francis Burton Harrison had done more than any predecessor to Filipinize the government after 1914 in preparation for self-rule and eventual independence, Mr. DICK found this popular official, toward the end of his term, giving less than proper attention to his office and editorialized about his frequent absences from Malacañang. An article lightly describing petty thievery on the part of the National Guard that was to be sent to fight in France afforded the Governor General a pretext for an investigation. The upshot was a recommendation for DICK's deportation. Offered an opportunity to retract, DICK refused. Not fazed by the deportation order, the editor calmly finished a golf game he was playing when the news was brought to him. Intervention by Don Alejandro Roces, a close friend then publisher of the Manila Times, and others resulted in the order being rescinded by an acting Governor General during a brief absence of Harrison.

Mr. DICK has not allowed friendship to becloud his judgment. The Free Press ceased to advertize a small cylinder with cord to be attached to a patient's wrist that purportedly had great healing power after DICK read in a reputable medical journal an article ridiculing the contraption, though the firm selling it was owned by the foremost Filipino philanthropist, Don Teodoro Yangco, whom he admired.

Also buttressing the magazine's independence has been its refusal to carry lucrative liquor advertisements. An unintentional boon, this policy stems from a promise DICK made to his mother never to encourage others to drink. He, himself, took no spirits for over 50 years but in later life has felt he could safely enjoy an occasional cocktail.

Though Mr. DICK privately expressed pessimism about the future of an independent Philippines out of fear that the country might eventually become a Japanese possession, by the outbreak of World War II the Free Press had become a symbol of freedom and a rallying point of the independence movement. Giving an authentic view of a fun-loving, lively people scattered across the archipelago, the magazine's circulation had increased to 30,000 and the basic format that remains today had become familiar to households throughout the country: a hard-hitting editorial on national or international issues properly illustrated on page one, followed by exposes and articles on political affairs by staff members, a short story with illustrations, barrio tidbits and human interest pieces on such subjects as fiestas in Zamboanga and weddings of tribespeople in the mountains of northern Luzon.

Because the Free Press had fought steadily against Japanese expansion in Asia, the invaders, in January 1942, promptly suspended publication of the magazine and interned DICK and Rogers in old Spanish dungeons at Fort Santiago. Both refused collaboration. In his two years there, Mr. DICK shortened the long, dull weeks for himself and his fellow prisoners by giving lectures in his slow, deliberate, almost inaudible voice on life and English writers, particularly Shakespeare, whom he could quote by the hour. Already weakened by four previous operations for organic ailments and a cataract, he suffered in Fort Santiago from malnutrition which induced in his frail body severe edema. He also developed a festering ulcer on his right knee from crawling to drink from a ground level faucet in his cell. Despite daily exercises to keep in physical trim, the long incarceration in a damp cell left him with chronic asthma, lumbago and a weak heart.

After liberation, DICK found the Free Press offices bombed out, its morgue and back files completely destroyed. Already 73 and in poor health, he immediately set to work restoring the magazine. With the help of the faithful Rogers and many of the old Filipino staff, the Free Press resumed publication in February 1946. The initial postwar years were reminiscent of the early struggle but success was again achieved by hard work, and making every centavo count—DICK himself rode by crowded bus and "jeepney" to his home in Malabon. Circulation for the first few issues was no more than 12,000 but, by 1955, had increased to 100,000 and is still growing.

Whereas the Free Press earlier had exposed shortcomings of the American administration, after establishment of the Commonwealth in 1936 and particularly after independence in 1946, abuses of power by Filipino officials and politicians became the magazine's targets. Still with scrupulous care for the facts, Mr. DICK repeated to postwar newcomers to the staff the rule laid down for their predecessors: "Say it, if you must, in the public interest. If in doubt, cut it out. Never insinuate."

When a writer brought evidence that a rich businessman and important advertiser was guilty of tax evasion, DICK’s prompt response was: "Never mind the ads. Write the article. If you are convinced in your heart that the man has to be exposed, do it. But make sure, doubly sure, that you are not doing him an injustice."

Mr. DICK took out first papers towards naturalization as an American before the war but never completed the process. Styling himself "Scotsman by birth and Filipino by adoption," he has long regarded the Philippines as home but remains a British citizen. His vulnerability as an alien, however, has not been allowed to interfere with the magazine's performance or his own, and the allies thus earned have far outnumbered the enemies. A move for DICK’s deportation by an early Liberal administration was reportedly stopped only by fear of public opinion. There have been several libel suits against the Free Press and against DICK personally, as editor and publisher, but prominent Filipino lawyers have willingly taken the cases and strongest defense has been the irrefutable evidence that charges aired were valid.

The magazine has also looked for and praised men who concerned themselves not merely with their own interest but the interests of others. A staff member remembers Mr. DICK’s first meeting with Ramon Magsaysay, who called when he was Defense Secretary at the editor's office. Their conversation was interrupted each time the Secretary addressed Mr. DICK as "Sir," by a plea from the editor to refrain from this address. Thereafter following Magsaysay's policies carefully, Mr. DICK developed a great admiration for his dedication to the public good. He was seen weeping upon learning that President Magsaysay had been killed in a plane crash and today mention of the late President's name still brings tears to his eyes.

Though Mr. DICK belongs to the "old school," he has been quick to see advantages of new journalistic trends and techniques. He takes pride in the Free Press being the first to promote beauty contests in the Philippines.

Staffers who have worked with Mr. DICK over 22 years say they have never seen him betray the faith of the Filipino people. They honor and respect his humaneness and sense of fair play from which long-term employees all have benefited; explaining that the Free Press had flourished and given him a good life in the Philippines and he wanted to give something back to Filipinos, Mr. DICK has made them shareholders. Even his explosive temper is forgiven because it is never spiteful but provoked by some admitted mistake—his anger is not at a person but an act—and, if he is wrong, he does not hesitate to express regret. These old timers mention with affection his courtly manners, the sight of him munching a delectable candy whenever writing serious editorials, his noonday siestas, his pink memorandum pads and his spotlessly white apparel.

Staffers and readers alike testify that the Free Press has influenced their way of thinking and philosophy and they say they are really talking about Mr. DICK: "One cannot read the magazine week after week," a long-time subscriber has said, "without absorbing some of the idealism and integrity of the editor."

Now 85 and in considerable pain from aftereffects of the wartime incarceration and a broken femur that did not heal properly, Mr. DICK still comes daily to the office, reads galley proofs from cover to cover, including the advertisements, and wields vigorously an editorial blue pencil, seeing to it that no mistakes are found in the Free Press. Refusing to yield to the sentimentality that often accompanies advanced years, he retains the professional detachment and objectivity that has given the magazine its special quality.

Acknowledging their contributions to the Republic, R. McCULLOCH DICK and Theo S. Rogers were awarded the Philippine Legion of Honor, rank of Commander, by the Philippine Government on August 7, 1958. Mr. DICK was cited for "extremely meritorious services rendered the people of the Philippines and the cause of Philippine independence during the past five decades."

As the Free Press prepares to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary on August 29, 1958, a grateful Filipino reader said in simple tribute to the editor: "ROBERT McCULLOCH DICK has cultivated and fertilized a free press and good government in my country."

August 1958 (with additions in 1961)
Manila

EPILOGUE

At the necrological services held for Mr. DICK in September 1961, Joaquin Roces, son of Don Alejandro Roces, owner of the Manila Times, spoke as follows:

"Time is too short for us to record here the early career of his plain-speaking magazine, which in the span of a few short years gained the position of monitor for the government and the nation. But the time is never too short to omit mention of R. McCULLOCH DICK, the uncompromising Scot who maintained the simple creed: 'The people can never be wrong.'

"In the spirit of tolerance that he brought to his task, there was always room for the little man who sought justice—but there was not an inch of space for the powerful in the land, the tycoons of government, the men who sat in the seats of the mighty—whether they were Filipinos or Americans—if they were not on the people's side.

"R. McCULLOCH DICK was not the most tolerant of men where his most cherished ideals were concerned. There was a sign on the door of the Free Press editorial rooms: 'No crooks or grafters need apply.' It may have been invisible, but it was there.

"R. McCULLOCH DICK left for us a heritage. It is not a formula for making money fast; it is not a prescription for getting close to the powers in the government. Those who accept it will be accepting a burden to carry—the burden of the journalist's duty to the people."

September 1961
Manila

REFERENCES:

New York Times Magazine, August 28, 1955.

Philippines Free Press files.

Interviews with staff members and readers of the Philippines Free Press.