John Seigenthaler, one of Tennessee’s great newspapermen, passed away today.
Seigenthaler’s career in journalism and newspapering began when he was in high school. He devoted the rest of his life to the profession. Below is a very brief timeline of his career. For a detailed account of Seigenthaler’s achievements, see this piece in the Tennessean.
The Tennessee Newspaper Digitization Project is especially appreciative of the support Mr Seigenthaler gave the project in its early stages. Mr Seigenthaler provided a letter of support for the initial NEH award application, which helped get the project under way.
1940s – Editor-in-chief of the Panther, school newspaper at Father Ryan High School in Nashville
1949 – Hired as a reporter at the Tennessean
Late1950s/early 1960s – Seigenthaler became friends with Robert F. Kennedy, and later served in the Kennedy administration as chief negotiator with the Alabama governor. He was also US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy’s administrative assistant in the US Justice Department.
1962 – At the age of 34, Seigenthaler returned to the Tennessean as editor. Under his editorship, the paper won a Pulitzer Prize for its reporting of the coal industry and the United Mine Workers.
1973 – Seigenthaler became publisher of the Tennessean
1982 – Became the inaugural editorial director of the new national, USA Today.
1989 – Named chairman, publisher and CEOof the Tennessean.
1991 – Retired from the Tennessean and USA Today. Founded the First Amendment Center.
2005 – Wikipedia court case.