Howard Simons facts for kids

Howard Simons (June 3, 1929 – June 13, 1989) was a very important newspaper editor. He was the managing editor of The Washington Post during the famous Watergate scandal. Later, he worked at Harvard University, helping to train new journalists.

Early Life and Education

Howard Simons was born in Albany, New York, in 1929. He went to Union College and then studied journalism at Columbia University. After serving in the Korean War, he became a science reporter. He joined The Washington Post in 1961 as a science writer. He quickly moved up, becoming the assistant managing editor in 1966. By 1971, he was the managing editor.

His Role in the Watergate Scandal

Howard Simons played a key role in how The Washington Post covered the Watergate scandal. This was a major political scandal in the 1970s in the United States. It involved a break-in at the Democratic Party's headquarters in the Watergate complex.

The Start of the Story

On June 18, 1972, Simons took the first phone call about the break-in. He quickly took charge of the story. With help from other editors, he guided two young reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. He strongly supported them as they investigated the story.

Why His Decisions Mattered

Simons made important early decisions that led to The Washington Post's amazing coverage. He allowed the newspaper's local news team to work on this national political story. This was unusual, but it helped uncover the truth.

The story of the Post's investigation was made into a movie. Howard Simons was played by Martin Balsam in the 1976 film All the President's Men. He was also played by David Cross in the 2017 film The Post.

After The Washington Post

In 1984, Simons left The Washington Post. He became the Curator at The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. This foundation helps journalists improve their skills.

Simons also wrote several books. One of them was a spy novel called The Landing, which he wrote with Haynes Johnson.

He was known for a smart quote about how the media works:

"People who are funny and smart and return phone calls get much better press than people who are just funny and smart."

Howard Simons left his job at Harvard on May 25, 1989, due to illness. He passed away three weeks later, at the age of 60, from pancreatic cancer. A scholarship for minority students who want to become journalists is named after him.