Larry Speakes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Larry Speakes
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| Acting White House Press Secretary | |
| In office March 30, 1981 – February 1, 1987 |
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| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | James Brady |
| Succeeded by | Marlin Fitzwater (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Larry Melvin Speakes
September 13, 1939 Cleveland, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | January 10, 2014 (aged 74) Cleveland, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (before 1974) Republican (1974–2014) |
| Spouses | Laura Crawford Betty Robinson Aleta Sindelar |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Mississippi (BA) |
Larry Melvin Speakes (born September 13, 1939 – died January 10, 2014) was an American journalist and spokesperson. He served as the main spokesperson for President Ronald Reagan at the White House from 1981 to 1987. He took on this important role after the original Press Secretary, James Brady, was injured in an attack on March 30, 1981.
Larry grew up in northwest Mississippi and went to the University of Mississippi. He started his career as a journalist in the 1960s. Later, he became a press secretary for Democratic Senator James Eastland in 1968. In this job, he also spoke for the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
In 1974, he joined President Richard Nixon's team as a Staff Assistant. He soon became the Press Secretary to the Special Counsel to the President during the Watergate scandal. After Nixon resigned, President Gerald Ford made Speakes his Assistant Press Secretary. Speakes also worked as Bob Dole's press secretary when Dole ran for Vice President with Ford. Before joining the Reagan administration, he worked for a public relations company called Hill & Knowlton.
Contents
Larry Speakes' Early Life
Larry Speakes was born in Cleveland, Mississippi. This town had the closest hospital to his parents' home in Merigold, Mississippi. His father, Harry Earl Speakes, worked as a banker. His mother was Ethlyn Frances Fincher.
Starting His Career
As a Mississippi Journalist
Larry Speakes earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism. He got this degree from the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. He worked as an editor for the Oxford Eagle newspaper in 1961. From 1962 to 1966, he was the managing editor of the Bolivar Commercial. He then worked as a general manager and editor for Progress Publishers in Leland, Mississippi, from 1966 to 1968.
Working for a Senator
In 1968, Speakes moved to Washington, D.C.. There, he became the press secretary for Democratic Senator James Eastland of Mississippi. In this role, he was the spokesperson for the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. He also helped coordinate the senator's reelection campaign in 1972.
Time at the White House
The White House hired Speakes in 1974 as a Staff Assistant. He quickly became the Press Secretary to the Special Counsel to the President. This was during the time of the Watergate scandal. After President Richard Nixon resigned, President Gerald Ford appointed Speakes as Assistant Press Secretary. Speakes also worked as Bob Dole's press secretary during Dole's run for Vice President with Ford.
After a short time as President Ford's personal press secretary in 1977, Speakes worked in the private sector. He was a vice president at the international public relations firm Hill & Knowlton until 1981. After the 1980 presidential campaign, he joined the Reagan-Bush team. He helped improve their press operations. He eventually became the deputy spokesperson for the President-elect during the transition period.
Presidential Spokesperson
When James Brady was shot during the attack on President Reagan on March 30, 1981, he could not return to work. However, he kept the title of "Press Secretary" for all of Reagan's presidency. Because Brady was absent, Speakes took over the job of handling the daily press briefings.
On June 17, 1981, Speakes was named "Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary."
On August 5, 1983, Speakes was appointed "Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Press Secretary." He stayed in this position until January 1987, when he resigned. Marlin Fitzwater then took over the role.
On January 30, 1987, President Reagan gave him the Presidential Citizens Medal. This is a special award for citizens.
In his 1988 book Speaking Out, Speakes wrote about two times he made up statements. He then said President Reagan had said them. These statements included ones after the KAL 007 plane was shot down in 1983. Another was during the Geneva Summit of 1985. Speakes felt that the other leader's comments at the summit were very strong, but Reagan's were not as exciting. So, he asked his team to create some quotes. He then made them sound better and gave them to the press as if President Reagan had said them. Speakes said he was "representing his thought if not his words." He also apologized to Reagan. He said he had "provided fodder for those who would aim the cannons of criticism at the President I served loyally for 6 years." Speakes left a job at Merrill Lynch because of this controversy.
Personal Life
Larry Speakes was married to Laura Christine Crawford. They met in high school. They later divorced and had three children together.
His Death
Larry Speakes died in Cleveland, Mississippi, on January 10, 2014. He was 74 years old. He passed away from Alzheimer's disease. He was buried a few hours after his death at North Cleveland Cemetery.
Books
- Larry Speakes: Speaking Out (New York: Avon Books, 1989) paperback ISBN: 978-0380707263
Images for kids
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Larry Speakes
See also
In Spanish: Larry Speakes para niños
