Who was James Gordon Bennett (#69)?
James Gordon Bennett (Sr.) (1 September 1795 1 June 1872), was the founder, editor and publisher of the New York Herald and a major figure in the History of American newspapers.
James Gordon Bennett, Jr. (May 10, 1841 in New York City May 14, 1918 in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Alpes-Maritimes, France), was publisher of the New York Herald, founded by his father, James Gordon Bennett, Sr.
Was the elder Bennett really a more "influential American" than Pulitzer or Hearst who came later or his own contemporaries Horace Greeley of the Tribune and Henry Raymond of the Times?
Probably since Bennett came before Pulitzer and Hearst he was more influential in history than they were, but in mid-19th century America Greeley was far more important than the shady Bennett was.