James S. Denton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James S. Denton
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| Born |
James Steele Denton
July 5, 1951 |
| Died | June 22, 2018 (aged 66) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Journal publisher |
| Spouse(s) |
Marilyn Grisham
(m. 1976) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
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James Steele Denton (born July 5, 1951 – died June 22, 2018) was an important American publisher and director. He led the World Affairs magazine and the World Affairs Institute in Washington, D.C.. Before that, he was a leader at Heldref Publications. This company was started by Jeane Kirkpatrick and her husband.
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Early Life and Education
James Denton was born on July 5, 1951. His father was Jeremiah Denton, a U.S. Navy Rear Admiral and Senator. His mother was Jane Maury.
James grew up living on different military bases. He finished high school in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In 1973, he graduated from Elon College.
After college, he joined the Navy. He went to Officer Candidate School. He served in the Navy until 1979. Later, he moved to Washington, D.C.
Career Highlights
James Denton had a long career helping to promote democracy and human rights. From 1984 to 1997, he was the director of the National Forum Foundation. Then, from 1997 to 2001, he was the executive director of Freedom House. He helped these two groups join together in 1997.
Promoting Democracy
Denton created programs to help countries become more democratic. These programs were active in over 30 countries. Many of these were in the former Eastern Bloc, which used to be communist.
He also started a program in Eastern Europe. This program gave money to groups working for human rights. It also supported independent media and research groups.
Awards and Recognition
For his work, James Denton received several awards. The President of Romania gave him the Merit of Order. He also received special praise from the Polish government.
The Serbian Opposition also thanked him. They praised his help in removing Slobodan Milošević from power. In 2017, he received an award from the Czech Republic. It was called the Honorary Silver Medal of Jan Masaryk.
Consulting and Writing
James Denton worked as a consultant for many important people. These included Lech Wałęsa, Viktor Orbán, and Zoran Djindjic. He also advised many organizations.
From 2004 to 2006, he helped create "America at a Crossroads." This was a TV series about challenges facing America after the September 11 attacks.
Denton wrote and published many books and articles. These focused on human rights, democracy, and terrorism. He wrote a book called Grinning with the Gipper. This book showed how Ronald Reagan used humor to share his ideas. He also wrote speeches for Bob Dole's presidential campaign.
Personal Life
James Denton married Marilyn Grisham in 1976. They had two children together.
James Denton passed away on June 22, 2018. He died at his home in Washington, D.C., at the age of 66. He had prostate cancer.
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James S. Denton
