date unknown 3

Elbert Allen ("E. A.") Daly (November 16, 1891 – December 10, 1987) was the long-time publisher of the California Voice, a black newspaper. He was a veteran of WWI.

His wife, Lillian McReynold (Daly) (August 24, 1895 – April 14, 1962) learned the printing business from her family in Florida. 2,5 E. A. and Lillian had met in Florida as teenagers, and were married June 13, 1919, in Pittsburgh, PA, following E. A.'s WWI service. They came to California in 1922, and she got a job with the California Voice, while E. A. started the Electric Housecleaning Company. The name was suggested by Lillian because E. A. had an electric vacuum cleaner.

The Dalys purchased the California Voice in 1927 from the previous owners, Errol Marshall and Nelson Henderson. According to a 1971 interview with E. A., this was after Marshall had left town, and Henderson had lost some money and was looking to sell. 1

About 1934, Daly passed the realtors' exam and got into real estate, too. He did fairly well at it, which helped cover the lean times at the California Voice. 3 Daly sold his interest in the newspaper in April 1971. 3

E. A. was active in the Prince Hall Masons, and was also a member of the Odd Fellows, and the VFW. 3

Lillian died in 1962 after a brief illness, 2,5 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery. E. A. lived until the age of 96, and died in 1987.

May 1962 2September 1963 4

Family

According to the 1940 census, the Dalys lived at 862 - 36th St., along with E.A.'s mother, Lilly Floyd (Daly). Until about 1932, they lived on Alcatraz Ave. in Berkeley. The Dalys had no children.

Links and References

  1. Interview with E. A. Daly, by Ruth Beckford 1971, archive.org
  2. Owner of California Voice Dies at Oakland Indianapolis Recorder May 5, 1962
  3. Perspectives on the Alameda County District Attorney's Office Volume II, 1972 (large PDF; Daly interview begins p.635)
  4. Testimonial Will Honor Veteran Negro Editor Oakland Tribune September 15, 1963
  5. Owner of California Voice Dies Oakland Tribune April 16, 1962

Notes from interview with Ruth Beckford:

Born November 16, 1891, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to Ralph Daly, Sr. and Lilly Daly. He was the 8th of 12 children, 6 boys and 6 girls.
Met wife in 1912 in Pensacola, FL. Married in Pittsburgh, PA, June 13, 1919 following WWI service.
Went to WWI, lost voice and hearing.
Came to Bay Area on September 22, 1922. Started a business called Electric House Cleaning Co. Named by wife.
Wife's family had printing business back in FL, so wife was familiar with newspapers.
E. Marshall was started Voice in 1919. Lived in Berkeley. Wife worked for California Voice 1923-1927.
Dalys bought newspaper after Marshall left town, and other owner lost money. E. A. made some money in real estate.
1923-1948 at 2624 San Pablo Ave.
1948-1959 - built own building on San Pablo in 1948
814 - 27th St. - new home for Voice
No children
NAACP member since 1920
Knights of Pythias. Grand Deputy for 5 years
Oddfellows? Masons? Refused 33rd Degree because they wanted him to pay for it
Shriners - Christmas party
Alameda County Negro Republican League, founded c.1930s
1928 - Alameda County Superior Court Judge Fisher fraudulently sued African American using eminent domain to evict him from Oakland Hills, for a street that was never built. To "keep an undesirable out of the neighborhood". Helped defeat Fisher for re-election
Voice the mouthpiece of NAACP on west coast
Republican, but always "voted for the man, not the party". e.g., Byron Rumford
Knew Governor Pat Brown
Circulation: highest 16,500. Started with 500 when he took over.
Cost 5 cents, later 10 cents.

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