Governor Ronald Reagan asserted:<ref name="William E Knowland Is Apparent Suicide; Ex‐Senator Was 65"/>
Governor Ronald Reagan asserted:<ref name="William E Knowland Is Apparent Suicide; Ex‐Senator Was 65"/>
{{cquote|California has lost one of its leading citizens. He was a great gentleman, and I shall miss his counsel and friendship.}}
{{cquote|California has lost one of its leading citizens. He was a great gentleman, and I shall miss his counsel and friendship.}}
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===Newspaper business===
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Following Knowland's suicide, his son Joseph took over as the editor-in-chief and publisher of the ''Oakland Tribune''.<ref name=josephwknowlandmercurynewsobituary/>