Clifford K. Berryman

Political Cartoonist for the Washington Star

The importance of political cartoons, especially during times of turmoil, is difficult to overstate. Though the cartoons might be humorous, a political cartoonist's main purpose is to persuade readers and influence public sentiment. Through the use of literary techniques like symbolism, hyperbole, analogy, and irony, cartoonists distill a number of complicated and nuanced political discussions into a single panel.

Clifford K. Berryman was one of the best-known political cartoonists in the United States. Born in Clifford, Kentucky, in 1869, Berryman began work as a draftsman at the United States Patent Office in 1886.  In 1891, he began publishing political cartoons for the Washington Post.  While at the Post, he drew the famous "Remember the Maine" panel, during 1898's Spanish-American War, as well as the 1902 caricature of Theodore Roosevelt that was the genesis for the teddy bear. His World War I panels pinpoint the many controversies of the day.

In 1907, Berryman went to the Star, where he drew until his death in 1949.  In 1944, he won a Pulitzer Prize for his cartoon criticizing Franklin Delano Roosevelt and other U.S. leaders.