Andrew J. Aikens | |
|---|---|
 Andrew J. Aikens in his later years | |
| Born | Andrew Jackson Aikens October 31, 1828 Barnard, Vermont, US |
| Died | January 22, 1909 (aged 80) |
| Occupation | Newspaper publisher |
| Employer | The Evening Wisconsin |
| Known for | Preprinted sheets for weekly newspapers called "patent insides" |
| Signature | |
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Andrew Jackson Aikens, Sr. (October 31, 1828 – January 22, 1909) was an American newspaper publisher and editor who was associated for more than half a century with The Evening Wisconsin, a daily newspaper published in the city of Milwaukee.
Aikens is regarded as the creator of the "patent inside" preprinted sheet in 1863 — an early form of syndicated news and advertising content which helped to make the production of small weekly newspapers economically viable. At the time of his death it was estimated that some 10,000 newspapers — half of the weeklies in the United States — made use of some form of the preprinted page pioneered by Aikens.