Louis B. Costello
Louis Bartlett Costello | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 September 1876 Wells, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | 6 May 1959 (aged 82) |
| Occupation(s) | Newspaper executive, banker |
| Known for | President of The Lewiston Daily Sun and Lewiston Evening Journal; president of Androscoggin County Savings Bank |
Louis Bartlett Costello (September 14, 1876 – May 6, 1959) was a distinguished American newspaper executive and banker who held the positions of general manager and president at The Lewiston Daily Sun and Lewiston Evening Journal based in Lewiston, Maine. Launching his journalism journey while attending Bates College, he emerged as a significant media leader within Maine.
For close to five decades, Costello played an influential role in the Lewiston-Auburn region. He oversaw the largest morning and afternoon newspapers in the locality and was a dedicated trustee of Bates College as well as the Androscoggin County Savings Bank, where he served as president from 1931 until 1939. Additionally, he was actively involved in Freemasonry and participated in the United Baptist church community.
Early life and education
Born on September 14, 1876, in Wells, Maine, Costello was the son of Nicholas H. Costello (–1885), a sea captain who tragically drowned during Louis’s childhood. In 1889, his mother Annie Hill Costello (1842–1927) remarried William S. Wells, a notable lumber businessman and state legislator from York County.
Costello received his preparatory education at Berwick Academy, where he delivered a speech on class day in 1894. He continued his studies at Bates College, serving as senior class president and contributing to The Bates Student alongside Sadie Brackett, who later became his wife. An accomplished debater, he played a key role in establishing a chapter of Delta Sigma Rho at Bates. The couple married in Lewiston on February 14, 1900, and had two children: Louise (born 1902) and Russell (born 1904).
Newspapers
In 1898, George W. Wood, publisher from Lewiston, acquired the then five-year-old Lewiston Daily Sun, merging it with his weekly publication Maine Statesman and appointing Costello as business manager. The expansion of Rural Free Delivery significantly increased circulation within the Lewiston-Auburn area, growing from 2,000 to 8,000 readers over twenty years. In 1926, Wood added the Lewiston Evening Journal to his holdings and elevated Costello to treasurer and general manager of the publishing company. After Wood’s passing in 1945, Costello assumed ownership and presidency. By that time, the Sun and Journal ranked as Maine’s fourth and fifth largest daily newspapers respectively, with circulations of 27,480 and 14,088.
Costello adopted a cautious management approach but embraced advancements such as establishing a professional photography division during the 1930s. He opposed branching into broadcasting media; notably, he dismissed general manager Frank S. Hoy for obtaining a radio station license without prior consent. While the Sun operated amid Maine’s Republican political dominance and identified as "independent Republican," Costello prioritized impartial journalism. His newspapers were recognized for advocating social progressivism while maintaining appeal among traditional readerships. Engaging readers through travel narratives titled "A Leaf Out of My Notebook," he also authored editorials aimed at fostering positive community development.
Throughout his career, Costello held leadership roles including president of both the Maine Daily Newspaper Publishers Association and the Maine Members of the Associated Press.
Banking
In 1916, Costello was appointed as a trustee of the Androscoggin County Savings Bank and remained on its board until 1956. This institution was the largest savings bank in Lewiston by asset size and ranked among Maine’s top financial entities. After William J. Crawshaw stepped down due to health issues in 1931, Costello was chosen as president. He guided the bank for eight years during the challenging period of the Great Depression, overseeing its acceptance of assistance under the Emergency Banking Act in 1933.
Civic life
Costello was a devoted member and founding figure of the Lewiston United Baptist Church, affiliated with the United Baptist denomination. During the early 1920s, he contributed to the building committee responsible for constructing the congregation’s now-demolished English Gothic-style church located at Bates and Main streets. His wife Sadie was a longtime religious school instructor there. In 1932, Costello advanced to serve as second vice president of the Maine United Baptist Convention, which that year endorsed U.S. involvement in the World Disarmament Conference and opposed repealing the Eighteenth Amendment.
Additionally, Costello was an active Freemason, holding the position of past master at Rabboni Lodge 150 and participating in the Knights Templar order.
Later life and death
On June 15, 1952, Bates College recognized Costello’s more than three decades of service on its board of trustees by awarding him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, presented by college president Charles Phillips. Among other distinguished recipients that year were New Jersey Governor Alfred E. Driscoll and financier Frank Altschul.
Costello passed away on May 6, 1959, at Central Maine General Hospital after an extended illness. Funeral services were held at Bates College chapel before he was laid to rest in Riverside Cemetery beside his wife, who had died two years prior. In his will, he bequeathed $5,000 each to Bates College and Lewiston United Baptist Church. As a tribute, Bates named a room in Chase Hall—the Costello Room—in his honor.
His son Russell took over leadership of the Daily Sun company and orchestrated the 1989 merger of The Sun with the Evening Journal to form the Sun Journal. Following Russell’s death in 1993, his son James assumed presidency. The family eventually sold the Sun Journal in 2017 to Reade Brower, owner of MaineToday Media.
The Costellos’ residence at 45 Campus Avenue, designed by architect Harry S. Coombs, was purchased by Bates College and used for offices and student groups before being demolished in 2014. The Bonney Science Center now occupies this location.