Wesley Pruden facts for kids

Wesley Pruden (born December 18, 1935 – died July 17, 2019) was an American journalist and writer. He was best known for being the top editor, called editor-in-chief, at The Washington Times newspaper. He held this important role from 1992 until he retired in 2008.

Early Life and Family

Wesley Pruden was born in 1935 in Little Rock, Arkansas. His family had lived in Arkansas for many years.

His father, James Wesley Pruden, Sr., was a Southern Baptist minister. He was a pastor at Grace Baptist Church. He also spoke on the radio. Pruden's father was involved with a group called the White Citizens' Council. This group worked against racial integration in the 1950s and 1960s.

Starting His Newspaper Career

Pruden began working in newspapers in 1951. He was only in tenth grade at Little Rock Central High School. His first job was as a copyboy at the Arkansas Gazette. This newspaper is no longer in print. Later, he became a sportswriter there. He also worked as an assistant state editor.

After high school, he went to Little Rock Junior College. This college is now part of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Reporting Across the World

In 1956, Pruden started working at the Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1963, he joined the National Observer. This was a national weekly newspaper. He covered national politics and the civil rights movement for them.

In 1965, he was sent to cover the Vietnam War. For the next ten years, he worked as a foreign correspondent. He lived in places like Saigon, Hong Kong, Beirut, and London. The National Observer stopped publishing in 1977.

Editor at The Washington Times

Between 1976 and 1982, Pruden worked on a novel. It was a funny story, but he could not find a publisher for it.

In 1982, he joined The Washington Times. This was just four months after the newspaper started. He began as the chief political reporter. He quickly moved up in the company. In 1983, he became assistant managing editor. In 1985, he became managing editor. Finally, in 1992, he became the editor-in-chief.

Pruden retired in January 2008. He then became editor-in-chief-emeritus. He continued to write a column twice a week for The Times. These columns were about politics and national news.

Covering President Reagan

Pruden was known for his reporting on President Ronald Reagan. He wrote about Reagan's special way of connecting with people.

Pruden said that when Reagan spoke, people felt he talked like them. They thought what he said made common sense. Pruden believed this was the secret to Reagan's power. He called Reagan "arguably the most effective president" since Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Awards and Special Features

In 1991, Wesley Pruden won the H.L. Mencken Prize. This award is given for excellent writing and commentary.

Under Pruden's leadership, The Washington Times had a special feature. Every Saturday, they published a full page of stories about the American Civil War. No other daily newspaper in the U.S. did this. Pruden said it was "probably our single most popular feature." He also noted that many books are written about the Civil War.

Pruden made sure the Civil War page included stories about both sides. It had stories that honored the Union and the Confederacy. Soon after he retired, the newspaper changed this page. It was renamed "America at War" and covered all American wars.