Ink-Slinger Profiles: R.E. Schad

Ross Earle Schad was born in San Francisco, California on March 4, 1884, according to his World War I and II draft cards. In the 1900 U.S. Federal Census, he was the oldest of three children born to William and Annie. They lived in San Francisco at 51 Elgin Park. His father was a jeweler. Information about his education and art training has not been found. News of his thirteenth birthday was reported in the San Francisco Call on March 21, 1897. The Call reported his seventeenth birthday on March 17, 1901. The San Francisco Bulletin published his strips, Miss Gushe in the Country and The Adventures of Miss Touryste, in 1904. On June 1, 1904 the Call reported the upcoming Newspaper Artist's League exhibition, which included cartoonists Schad, G.A. Bronstrup, Ralph O. Yardley and Bert Igoe. According to The Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), April 27, 1905 edition, he married Claudia White. Almost a year later, April 22, 1906, The Sun reported news of the San Francisco earthquake.

Mrs. E.R. [sic] Schad Escaped

Daughter of Rockville Minister Was in Frisco Horror.

[Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.]

Mrs. E.R. White, of this place, have received word from their daughter, Mrs. R. Earl [sic] Schad, formerly Claudia White, who was for a number of years prominent in Baptist missionary work here, informing them that she escaped injury from the San Francisco earthquake.

Mrs. Schad lives in San Francisco, and the house she occupied was destroyed. She is now comfortably quartered several miles outside the city.

The San Francisco-Oakland Directory1907 has this listing, "Schad R Earle, commercial artist, 876 Brdy, Oak". The Overland Monthly published Schad's illustrations (left) in its October 1907 issue.

In 1910 the couple lived in San Francisco at 912 Pine Street. His occupation was artist in the illustration industry. The date of his move to New York City is not known. The New York Herald (New York) printed his classified ad on November 23, 1915, "Artist, all around, wants work; advertising or art service. Earle Schad, 21 East 14th st." His World War I draft has his Manhattan address as 216 West 34th Street. He was a self-employed artist.

Schad has not been found in the 1920 census. In 1930 he and second wife Louise lived in Middletown, New Jersey on Monmouth Avenue. His occupation was artist. He signed his World War II draft card on April 25, 1942. He was a free-lance artist who lived in New York City at 401 1st Avenue. According to a family tree at Ancestry.com, Schad passed away on April 20, 1949 in New York City.