Walter was born on August 13, 1883 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. His parents were Dr. Albert Bliss Strong, a skilful Chicago physician, and Idea (Cook) Strong; he was descended from Elder John Strong who came to Massachusetts on the Mary and John in 1630.
When Walter was fifteen years old his father died, leaving the family without financial resources, but, with assistance from a relative supplementing his own earnings, the boy succeeded in putting himself through high school and an engineering course at Lewis Institute.
Later he took a law course at John Marshall Law School, Chicago. Entering Beloit College, supporting himself in part by working on a Beloit newspaper, he graduated in 1905 with the degree of B. A.
Returning to Chicago after graduation, Strong established connection with the Chicago Daily News as an audit clerk, soon becoming auditor and later business manager, which post he held at the time of the death, in August 1925, of Victor F. Lawson, editor and publisher.
Disposition of the paper was, under Lawson's will, left in the hands of his executor, John J. Mitchell, president of the Illinois Merchants Trust Company, and in December 1925 the Daily News was bought for $13, 500, 000 by a group headed by Strong, who had bent every effort to insure its continued control by those who would maintain the previous owner's high ideals and carry on his policies. Even before Lawson's death Strong had recognized the need of a new plant, and as soon as he became head of the Daily News he began plans for a new building. The site selected utilized for the first time in Chicago's history air rights over a railroad, the building being constructed, in part, over tracks of the Chicago & Northwestern, and on June 8, 1929, the Daily News moved to its imposing new quarters.
In the reorganization a stock company was formed, Strong acquiring a majority of the stock and continuing to be the controlling stockholder until his death.
He was early interested in radio broadcasting and in 1922 the Daily News, largely through his influence, purchased half interest in a local station and became the first newspaper in Chicago, and one of the first in the country, to operate a radio station.
He was only forty-seven at the time of his sudden death.
Walter Ansel Strong was chairman of the board of the station (WMAQ) directors. As a result of his efforts, a plan for pensioning Daily News employees after a certain number of years, and for protecting them with insurance during their lifetime, was evolved and put into operation. His interests extended widely into national organizations connected with newspaper publishing. He was chairman of the board of the Advertising Federation of America - to which organization he gave much time hoping through it to improve standards of advertising throughout the country.
He was a member of the Episcopal Church, serving for years as vestryman, and active in the community interests of Winnetka, the Chicago suburb of which he was a resident.
He had an essentially constructive mind; combined vision, business sagacity, and creative energy; possessed tremendous vitality and moral courage.
He reached the front rank of the newspaper world through sheer force of personality, ability, and character.
On April 14, 1913, he married Josephine Haviland Webster, daughter of Towner Keeney Webster of Evanston, Illinois. Five children were born to them.
