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William Dickson Boyce, an American newspaper man, entrepreneur, magazine publisher, and explorer, was the founder of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and the short-lived Lone Scouts of America (LSA). Born in Plum Township, Pennsylvania, he acquired a love for the outdoors early in his life. Boyce attended Wooster Academy in Ohio before moving to the Midwest and Canada. Boyce established several newspapers. With his first wife, Mary Jane Beacom, he moved to Chicago to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions. There he established the Mutual Newspaper Publishing Company and the weekly Saturday Blade, which catered to a rural audience and was distributed by thousands of newspaper boys. With his novel employment of newsboys to boost newspaper sales, Boyce's namesake publishing company maintained a circulation of 500,000 copies per week by 1894. Boyce strongly supported worker rights, as demonstrated by his businesses' support of labor unions and his maintenance of his newsboys' well-being. By the early years of the 20th century, Boyce had become a multi-millionaire and had taken a step back from his businesses to pursue his interests in civic affairs, devoting more time to traveling and participating in expeditions. Boyce led expeditions to South America, Europe, and North Africa, where he visited the newly discovered tomb of King Tutankhamun. Boyce learned about Scouting while passing through London. On his return to the United States, he formed the BSA. From its start, After clashing over the Scouting program with Chief Scout Executive James E. West, he split from the BSA and founded the LSA in January 1915, which catered to rural boys who had limited opportunities to form a troop or a patrol. In June 1924, a merger was completed between the BSA and the struggling LSA. Boyce received many awards and memorials for his efforts in the U.S. Scouting movement, including the Silver Buffalo Award.