DeWitt Wallace facts for kids
William Roy DeWitt Wallace (born November 12, 1889 – died March 30, 1981) was a famous American magazine publisher. He is best known for starting Reader's Digest with his wife, Lila Bell Wallace. They published the very first issue in 1922.
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Early Life and Education
DeWitt Wallace was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. His father worked at Macalester College, and later became its president. As a young person, DeWitt went to Mount Hermon School, which is now called Northfield Mount Hermon School.
He started college at Macalester from 1907 to 1909. Then, he moved to the University of California, Berkeley for two years. In 1912, he went back to St. Paul. There, he got a job at a company that published books about farming.
The Idea for Reader's Digest
During World War I, Wallace joined the U.S. Army. He was hurt during the war and spent four months in a hospital in France. To pass the time, he read many American magazines. This gave him an idea.
After returning to the U.S., Wallace spent half a year at the Minneapolis Public Library. He read and shortened many magazine articles. He wanted to create a magazine that had articles on many different topics. Each article would be short and easy to read.
Starting the Magazine
Wallace showed his idea for a new magazine to Lila Bell Acheson. She was the sister of an old college friend. Lila loved the idea! He asked her to marry him, and they got married on October 15, 1921.
The Wallaces decided to publish the magazine themselves. They sold it by sending it directly to people in the mail. The first issue of Reader's Digest came out on February 5, 1922. Soon, Reader's Digest became one of the most popular magazines in the world.
DeWitt Wallace supported the Republican Party. He believed strongly against communism. The magazine often shared these views.
Giving Back: Philanthropy
DeWitt Wallace was a well-known philanthropist. This means he gave away a lot of his money to help others. He donated much of his large fortune to his old college, Macalester College.
The Wallaces also started several foundations. These are now combined into The Wallace Foundation. This foundation helps support education, youth programs, and the arts. There is even a dormitory named after him at the Northfield Mount Hermon campus. He also helped fund the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum. This museum opened in 1985 at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia.
Awards and Recognition
On January 28, 1972, President Richard Nixon gave DeWitt Wallace the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is a very high honor for civilians in the U.S. In 1980, Wallace was added to the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame.
Key Awards
- Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1966)
- Presidential Medal of Freedom (1972)
- Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame (1980)
