John Seigenthaler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Seigenthaler
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Seigenthaler speaking in Nashville in 2005
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| Born |
John Lawrence Seigenthaler
July 27, 1927 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
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| Died | July 11, 2014 (aged 86) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
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| Occupation | Journalist, writer |
| Years active | 1949–2014 |
| Spouse(s) |
Dolores Watson
(m. 1955) |
| Children | John Michael Seigenthaler |
John Lawrence Seigenthaler (July 27, 1927 – July 11, 2014) was an American journalist, writer, and political figure. He was well-known for strongly defending First Amendment rights. The First Amendment protects important freedoms like freedom of speech and the press.
Seigenthaler started working at The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville in 1949. He left in 1960 to work for Robert F. Kennedy, who was then the U.S. Attorney General. In 1962, he returned to The Tennessean as an editor. Later, he became the publisher in 1973 and chairman in 1982. He retired in 1991.
He also helped start USA Today newspaper and was its first editorial director from 1982 to 1991. During this time, he was part of the board for the American Society of News Editors and was its president from 1988 to 1989.
Contents
John Seigenthaler's Early Life
John Seigenthaler was born in Nashville, Tennessee. He was the oldest of eight children. He went to Father Ryan High School. From 1946 to 1949, he served in the U.S. Air Force and became a sergeant.
After his military service, Seigenthaler was hired by The Tennessean newspaper. While working there, he also took classes in sociology and literature at Peabody College, which is now part of Vanderbilt University. He also studied at the American Press Institute for Reporters at Columbia University.
His Career in Journalism
Starting as a Reporter
Seigenthaler began his journalism career as a police beat reporter for The Tennessean. This meant he covered crime and police news. He quickly became a respected reporter, even with strong competition from other talented journalists.
He became famous in 1953 for finding a man named Thomas C. Buntin. This man had disappeared in 1931. Seigenthaler traveled to Texas and, after careful investigation, found Buntin and his family. For this story, Seigenthaler won a National Headliner Award.
A Heroic Rescue
Less than a year later, in October 1954, Seigenthaler made national news again. He saved a man from jumping off the Shelby Street Bridge in Nashville. The man had called The Tennessean and said he would jump.
Seigenthaler went to the bridge and talked to the man for 40 minutes. When the man tried to jump, Seigenthaler grabbed him. With the help of police, they saved the man from falling into the Cumberland River.
In April 2014, the bridge was renamed the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge to honor him.
Fighting Corruption
In 1957, Seigenthaler started investigating corruption within a local branch of the Teamsters union. His articles led to the impeachment (a process to remove an official from office) of a judge in Chattanooga.
In 1958, Seigenthaler took a year off from The Tennessean to join the prestigious Nieman Fellowship program at Harvard University. When he returned, he became an assistant city editor and a special assignment reporter.
John Seigenthaler in Politics
Working with Robert F. Kennedy
In 1960, Seigenthaler left The Tennessean to become an assistant to Robert F. Kennedy, who was the new U.S. Attorney General. On April 21, 1961, Seigenthaler was present at an important meeting between Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr..
The Freedom Rides
In 1961, during the Freedom Rides, Seigenthaler was sent by the government to help. The Freedom Rides were protests where people rode buses into segregated Southern states to challenge unfair laws. Seigenthaler tried to work with the Alabama Governor to protect the Riders.
However, when the Riders arrived in Montgomery, their police escort disappeared. A large, angry crowd attacked them. Seigenthaler rushed to help a Freedom Rider named Susan Wilbur. He tried to get her into his car, but he was hit on the head with a pipe and knocked unconscious. Police arrived 10 minutes later.
Returning to The Tennessean
After the death of Tennessean publisher Silliman Evans Jr. in 1961, Seigenthaler was asked to return to the newspaper. On March 21, 1962, he was named editor of The Tennessean. Under his leadership, the newspaper became known again for its strong, investigative reporting.
For example, in 1962, The Tennessean uncovered evidence of voter fraud in a local election.
Friendship with the Kennedys
Seigenthaler's close friendship with Robert F. Kennedy was well-known. He even took a temporary break from the newspaper to work on Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign.
After Kennedy was shot and died in June 1968, Seigenthaler was one of the pallbearers at his funeral. He also helped edit a book honoring Robert F. Kennedy.
Seigenthaler continued to support civil rights. In 1969, he backed Bishop Joseph Aloysius Durick in his efforts to end racial segregation (keeping people of different races separate).
A Career in Publishing
Becoming a Publisher
On February 8, 1973, Seigenthaler was promoted to publisher of The Tennessean. As publisher, he worked with Al Gore, who was a reporter at the time. They investigated corruption in the Nashville city council.
In 1976, Seigenthaler told Al Gore that a U.S. House representative was retiring. Seigenthaler had encouraged Gore to think about a career in public service. Gore decided to leave the newspaper and start his political career.
Protecting the Press
In 1976, Seigenthaler fired a copy editor at The Tennessean named Jacque Srouji. It was discovered that she had been secretly working as an informant (someone who gives information) for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for many years. This was a big problem because journalists need to be independent and not secretly work for the government.
After this, the FBI collected false rumors about Seigenthaler. He fought for a year to see his own FBI file. When he finally received it, it contained false accusations. Seigenthaler publicly stated that the charges were untrue. The Attorney General apologized, and the false information was removed from his file. For his courage, he received the 1976 Sidney Hillman Prize.
Leading USA Today
In May 1982, Seigenthaler was named the first editorial director of USA Today. The founder of USA Today, Allen Neuharth, called Seigenthaler "one of the most thoughtful and respected editors in America." Seigenthaler often traveled between Nashville and Washington to work for both newspapers.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1986, Middle Tennessee State University created the John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies. This honored his lifelong dedication to protecting free expression.
Seigenthaler retired from The Tennessean and USA Today in 1991. On December 15, 1991, he founded the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University. This center helps people understand and appreciate the First Amendment freedoms, like freedom of speech, press, and religion.
In 1996, he received the Elijah P. Lovejoy Award and an honorary law degree. In 2001, he was appointed to a national commission that looked at election reform after the 2000 presidential election.
In 2002, when a USA Today reporter was found to have made up stories, the newspaper asked Seigenthaler and other experienced editors to help oversee the investigation.
Also in 2002, Vanderbilt University renamed a building the John Seigenthaler Center. This building houses the Freedom Forum and the First Amendment Center.
In April 2014, the Shelby Street Bridge in Nashville was officially renamed the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge in his honor.
Seigenthaler also hosted a book review show on public television called A Word on Words. He chaired committees that selected winners for important awards, including the Profiles in Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.
Wikipedia Biography Incident
On May 26, 2005, a user on Wikipedia created a short article about Seigenthaler that contained false and harmful information.
When Seigenthaler found out, he contacted Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales, who removed the false claims. Seigenthaler later wrote that "For four months, Wikipedia depicted me as a suspected assassin." He also noted that the false information spread to other websites.
This event became a very important moment in Wikipedia's history. It led to new rules and policies to help protect people from false information on the site.
Death
John Seigenthaler passed away on July 11, 2014, at the age of 86. He died from complications related to colon cancer at his home, surrounded by his family.
Images for kids
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Seigenthaler speaking in Nashville in 2005
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Seigenthaler discussing media coverage of the Nashville sit-ins at a 2010 panel discussion
See also
In Spanish: John Seigenthaler para niños
