This rendering of the west facade of the Tribune Tower was executed by New York architects John Mead Howells and Raymond M. Hood following the selection in 1922 of their plan for a new headquarters for the Chicago Tribune on North Michigan Avenue. Theirs was the winning design in an architectural competition that drew 263 entries from around the world. Construction of the 36-story Gothic tower began in 1923 and was completed in 1925.

The phrase "The World's Greatest Newspaper" began appearing on Page One of the newspaper on August 29, 1911. In its 1920 Book of Facts, the Tribune declared: "The words 'The World's Greatest Newspaper' are not used as a boast, but as a statement of fact in which people who make this paper, people who read it, people who advertise in it, and many impartial experts firmly believe." The slogan was removed from the Page One nameplate on 1/1/77.