Background
Poling was born in Portland, Oregon, to Charles Cupp Poling and Savilla Kring Poling in 1884. His father was also a minister, and two of his brothers, Paul N. Poling and Charles S. Poling, became clergymen as well. Daniel Poling graduated from Dalles College, which his father had founded.
Career
Poling was ordained in the United Evangelical Church in 1906 in Carey, Ohio. He quickly became involved in the campaign to prohibit alcohol in the United States. During World War I, Poling helped to organize a unit of chaplains to serve with the American Expeditionary Force in France.
He served near the front, was involved in an enemy gas attack, and received a citation from the United States government.
From 1922 to 1939, he preached at the Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan, and began giving weekly radio addresses. While there, he came to know Norman Vincent Peale, who later described Poling as "one of the greatest servants of Jesus Christ in this age or any other".
He would remain at the Herald"s helm until 1966. The same year, he became the head of the Young People"s Society of Christian Endeavour.
He resigned from the Marble Collegiate Church in 1939 to become owner of the Herald.
Under his editorship, the journal continued to support American military actions, the draft, and the development of atomic weapons. Poling was also a strong proponent of the separation of church and state. He served there until his death in 1968.
Although he was never elected, Poling ran for several offices.
He was the Prohibition Party"s candidate for governor of Ohio in 1912, but polled very few votes. In 1951, having moved to Philadelphia, he was the Republican candidate for mayor in the election that year.
He was defeated by Democrat Joseph South. Clark, Junior. The following month, President Harry South. Truman selected Poling as an investigator into tax scandals in his administration.
In 1960, he endorsed Richard M. Nixon for president, based on his distrust of John F. Kennedy"s Catholic faith.