James Reston facts for kids

James Barrett Reston (born November 3, 1909 – died December 6, 1995) was a famous American journalist. People often called him "Scotty." He worked as a journalist for many years, from the mid-1930s until the early 1990s. He was especially well-known for his work with The New York Times newspaper.

Growing Up in Scotland and Ohio

James Reston was born in Clydebank, Scotland. His family was not rich, and they were very religious Scottish Presbyterians. In 1920, when James was 11, his family moved to the United States. They traveled across the ocean as steerage passengers on a ship called the SS Mobile. They arrived at Ellis Island in New York on September 28, 1920.

The Reston family settled in the Dayton, Ohio area. James went to Oakwood High School. He was also a talented golfer! In 1927, he won a medal in the first Ohio High School Golf Championship. He also won the Ohio Public Links championship in 1931. In 1932, he was part of the University of Illinois golf team that won the Big Ten championship.

A Career in Journalism

After a short time working for the Daily News in Springfield, Ohio, James Reston joined the Associated Press in 1934. This was a big step in his journalism career.

Joining The New York Times

In 1939, he moved to the London office of The New York Times. He returned to New York in 1940. During World War II, in 1942, he took a break from the Times to help set up a U.S. Office of War Information in London. This office helped share important news and information during the war.

When he rejoined the Times in 1945, Reston was sent to Washington, D.C.. There, he became a national correspondent, reporting on news from across the country. In 1948, he became a diplomatic correspondent, which meant he reported on international relations and foreign policy. By 1953, he was the head of the Times' Washington bureau and also wrote a regular column.

Leading the Newsroom

Over the next few years, Reston took on even bigger roles at the Times. He was an associate editor from 1964 to 1968, and then the executive editor from 1968 to 1969. From 1969 to 1974, he served as a vice president. Even after that, he continued to write a popular column that appeared in newspapers all over the country, from 1974 until 1987. He became a senior columnist before he retired from the Times in 1989.

James Reston interviewed many important world leaders and wrote about the major events and issues of his time. For example, he interviewed President John F. Kennedy right after a meeting with Nikita Khrushchev in 1961.

Family Life

James Reston married Sarah Jane Fulton, who everyone called Sally, on December 24, 1935. They had met while they were both students at the University of Illinois. James was also a member of the Sigma Pi fraternity there.

James and Sally had three sons:

• James Jr. became a journalist, writer, and playwright, just like his father.
• Thomas worked for the U.S. State Department.
• Richard was the publisher of the Vineyard Gazette, a newspaper on Martha's Vineyard that his father bought in 1968.

Books Written by James Reston

James Reston also wrote several books during his career:

• Prelude to Victory (1942)
• The Artillery of the Press (1967)
• Sketches in the Sand (1967)
• Deadline (1991) (This book was his memoir, telling his life story.)

Awards and Honors

James Reston won the famous Pulitzer Prize twice!

• His first Pulitzer Prize was in 1945. He won it for his excellent reporting on the Dumbarton Oaks Conference. This was a very important meeting where plans were made to create the United Nations. Reston wrote an exclusive series of articles that explained how the delegates planned to set up this new international organization. Years later, he shared that his secret source for this information was a former New York Times copy boy who was part of the Chinese delegation at the conference.
• He received his second Pulitzer Prize in 1957. This award was for his national correspondence, especially for a five-part series of articles. These articles looked at how President Dwight D. Eisenhower's illness affected the way the government worked.

In 1986, he was given the Medal of Liberty. He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1986, which is one of the highest civilian awards in the United States. In 1991, he received the Four Freedoms Award.

Besides these American honors, James Reston also received awards from other countries. He was given the chevalier of the Légion d'honneur from France, the Order of St. Olav from Norway, the Order of Merit from Chile, and the Order of Leopold from Belgium. He also received honorary degrees from 28 different universities.

His Impact and Legacy

After James Reston passed away, many people talked about his important work. Bart Barnes, writing in The Washington Post, said that Reston's articles were "required reading" for top government officials. This means that important leaders always made sure to read what he wrote. Reston often had a close relationship with these officials, where he would listen to their ideas, and they would give him news.

However, some people also felt that Reston was sometimes too understanding of powerful people. Former Times editor R. W. Apple Jr. noted that Reston "was forgiving of the frailties of soldiers, statesmen and party hacks—too forgiving, some of his critics said, because he was too close to them."

Reston had a particularly close relationship with Henry Kissinger, who was a very important government official. Their conversations showed Reston sometimes tried to help Kissinger's image in the media.

Acupuncture Experience

In July 1971, while visiting China with his wife, James Reston had an emergency appendectomy. After his surgery, he experienced pain. A doctor in China treated his pain using acupuncture. This traditional Chinese medical practice involves placing thin needles into specific points on the body. Reston wrote an article for the Times describing his experience. This article was the first time many Americans had ever heard of acupuncture. Because of his article, traditional Chinese medicine became much more known in the Western world.

Passing Away

James Reston died at the age of 86 in Washington, D.C.