The Call was founded on December 1, 1856, by five printers: James J. Ayers, David W. Higgins, Charles F. Jobson, Llewellin Zublin, and William L.
[2] The Morning Call was reported purchased by Charles M. Shortridge of the San Jose Mercury for $360,000 in January 1895.
[5] In 1913 M. H. de Young, owner of the San Francisco Chronicle, purchased the paper and sold it to William Randolph Hearst who in 1918 brought in editor Fremont Older, former editor of the San Francisco Evening Bulletin.
Its most famous editor, crusading journalist Fremont Older, agitated for years against civic corruption and colluded with wealthy San Franciscan sugar baron Rudolph Spreckels to bring down the Mayor, Eugene Schmitz and political boss, Abe Ruef.
In 1965, the News-Call Bulletin ceased publication after being purchased by the San Francisco Examiner.