Al Neuharth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Al Neuharth
Born	Allen Harold Neuharth March 22, 1924 Eureka, South Dakota, U.S.
Died	April 19, 2013 (aged 89) Cocoa Beach, Florida, U.S.
Alma mater	University of South Dakota
Known for	Founder of USA Today

Allen Harold "Al" Neuharth (born March 22, 1924 – died April 19, 2013) was an American businessman, writer, and newspaper expert. He was born in Eureka, South Dakota. Al Neuharth is best known for creating USA Today, a major national newspaper. He also founded The Freedom Forum and its interactive museum, the Newseum.

Early Life and Work

Al Neuharth grew up in Eureka, South Dakota. His family spoke German. His father passed away when Al was only two years old. To help his family during the Great Depression, Al worked hard. He helped on his grandfather's farm. He also delivered the Minneapolis Tribune newspaper. Later, he took a better-paying job in the meat industry.

Al graduated from Alpena High School in Alpena, South Dakota. There, he worked for Allen Brigham, who owned the local newspaper, the Alpena Journal. When he was 19, Neuharth joined the Army during World War II. He served in the 86th Infantry Division. His service took him to France, Germany, and the Philippines.

Education and Scholarships

After the war, Al Neuharth went to the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. He became the editor of the school newspaper, The Volante. He stayed connected with the university throughout his life. He even had an office in the Al Neuharth Media Center until he passed away.

Neuharth also started the Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholarship. This scholarship helps high school students who are "free spirits." It supports those who want to work in journalism.

His Career in News

Al Neuharth and his friend Bill Porter started a weekly sports newspaper called SoDak Sports. It was popular at first. However, the newspaper went out of business within a year. Neuharth lost $50,000 he had borrowed.

After this, Neuharth joined the Miami Herald newspaper. He worked his way up to assistant managing editor. In 1960, he moved to the Detroit Free Press. This newspaper was owned by the Knight chain.

In 1963, Neuharth joined Gannett, a growing newspaper company. He moved to Rochester, New York. He managed the Democrat and Chronicle newspaper there. Later, he took charge of Gannett Florida. He started a newspaper called Today in Cocoa, Florida. This paper eventually became Florida Today. The bright colors used in Florida Today inspired the look of USA Today.

Neuharth became the head of Gannett in 1973. He helped make Gannett the biggest newspaper company in the U.S. During his time, Gannett's earnings grew a lot. By 1979, Gannett owned many newspapers, TV stations, and radio stations. They also bought a research company called Louis Harris & Associates. This company did important research for Neuharth. He wanted to know if starting a new national newspaper was a good idea.

Creating USA Today

Al Neuharth launched USA Today in 1982. This newspaper quickly became very popular. By 2013, it was one of the most widely read newspapers in the country. In 1988, he received the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism. This award recognized his achievement in founding USA Today.

Neuharth retired from Gannett on March 31, 1989, when he was 65. After retiring, he wrote a weekly column called Plain Talk. He continued writing it until August 2010.

The Freedom Forum

After retiring, Neuharth became the chairman of the Gannett Foundation. This foundation was started by Frank Gannett. Neuharth took control and changed the foundation's name to the Freedom Forum. He was the chairman of the Freedom Forum from 1991 until he passed away in 2013.

Every year, the Freedom Forum gives out the Al Neuharth Award for Excellence in the Media. This award honors people who have done great things in journalism. Many famous journalists have won this award. These include Walter Cronkite, Helen Thomas, Tom Brokaw, and Katie Couric.

Important Thoughts

Al Neuharth had strong beliefs about the media. Here are some of his quotes:

• "We in the media could help [the insurance situation] if we put in proper perspective long range hurricane forecasts that often are exaggerated and play into insurers' hands."
• "The First Amendment guarantees a free press. We in the media must make sure it is a fair press."

Personal Life

Al Neuharth had two children from his first marriage to Loretta F. Helgeland. They married in 1946 and divorced in 1973. He then married Florida State Senator Lori Wilson in 1973. Their marriage lasted seven years. Later, he married Rachel Fornes, a Cocoa Beach, Florida, chiropractor. They adopted six children together.

In 1975, Neuharth built a large house in Cocoa Beach. It had 11 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms. It was a very big house and was worth a lot of money. The house was sold after his death. Sadly, it was destroyed by a fire in 2016.

Al Neuharth passed away on April 19, 2013, at his home in Cocoa Beach. He was 89 years old. His friend, Jack Marsh, confirmed that Neuharth had fallen earlier that week and did not recover.

Awards and Honors

• Bronze Star Medal (a military award)
• Horatio Alger Award (1975)
• First man from the newspaper industry to win the Association for Women in Communications' highest award, the Headliner Award
• Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1982)
• Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism (1988)

Books Written by Al Neuharth

• BusCapade: Plain Talk Across the USA. 1987.
• Profiles of Power: How the Governors Run Our 50 States, with Kenneth A. Paulson and Phil Pruitt. 1988.
• Truly One Nation, with Ken Paulson and Dan Greaney. 1988.
• Window on the World: Faces, Places, and Plain Talk from 32 Countries. 1988.
• Nearly One World, with Jack Kelley and Juan J. Walte. 1989.
• Confessions of an S.O.B.. 1989.
• Free Spirit: How You Can Get the Most out of Life at Any Age...and How It Might Make You a Millionaire. 2000.

Images for kids

• 

  Al Neuharth in 1999.