Having spent his summers in college working at the Tribune, Rhodes was selected to run the paper in 1922, following the unexpected deaths of both the Tribune’s founder and its managing editor. Despite his youth and lack of experience, Rhodes embarked on a well-planned expansion strategy, upgrading and purchasing equipment, as well purchasing the paper’s office building. Under Rhodes leadership, the Tribune took on a conservative tone, catering to black middle class values, while still championing issues prominent among the black working class. By 1967, the Tribune had grown from a weekly newspaper into a large daily publication.