Francis enters the family business
Francis graduated from college two years before the American Civil War began, and accordingly, he spent time working as a war correspondent. Later, Francis joined forces with his brother, writer William Conant Church, to found two magazines: In 1863, they launched The Army and Navy Journal and in 1866, they followed that up with Galaxy, a magazine that notably published articles by Walt Whitman and Mark Twain (Galaxy later merged with The Atlantic Monthly, which is now The Atlantic.) For many years, Francis also served as a lead editorial writer on William’s newspaper, The New York Sun. It was here where he wrote “Yes, Virginia.”
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
In September of 1897, Virginia O’Hanlon was an eight-year-old child on a mission. While at school, her friends rudely informed her that Santa Claus did not, in fact, exist. Unwilling to take their word for it, Virginia consulted her father, Dr. Phillip O’Hanlon, a coroner’s assistant. Preferring not to be the bad guy for once, Dr. O’Hanlon suggested she write to the family’s local paper, saying “If you see it in The Sun it’s so.”
Here is Virginia’s letter as it ran in The Sun on September 21, 1897:
Dear Editor—I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says ‘‘if you see it in The Sun it’s so.’’ Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus? —Virginia O’Hanlon, 115 West 95th Street
Virginia’s earnest inquiry landed on Francis’ desk; he reportedly did not appreciate the assignment. Still, his response is the stuff of legend?—?a masterpiece of under 500 words, philosophically positing that “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.”
Even today, Francis’ elegant response to an innocent child is lauded as a journalistic feat: Without ever pandering, the editorial reinforces the idea that faith—not skepticism—makes life worth living.
Church’s legacy
Francis Pharcellus Church died on April 11, 1906 from a prolonged illness, but his most famous editorial far outlived him. “Yes, Virginia” was so popular, it was eventually translated into 20 languages; the piece is said to be the most-reprinted newspaper article in American history. Francis’ words have since been set to music and the composition is frequently performed by children in school holiday concerts.