Donal Henahan

Donal Henahan (born February 28, 1921^[1]) is a retired American music critic and journalist who had lengthy associations with the Chicago Daily News and The New York Times. For his work with the latter paper he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism in 1986.^[2]

Life and career

Born in Cleveland, Henahan initially studied at Kent State University and Ohio University, but his education was interrupted by military service during World War II. He was a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force from 1942–1945 where he held the rank of first lieutenant. For his work in the Air Force he was awarded the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters. After the war he entered Northwestern University where he graduated with bachelor's degree in 1948. In 1949 he entered the University of Chicago to pursue postgraduate work and from 1951–1958 he studied piano, singing, and classical guitar at the Chicago School of Music at Roosevelt University.^[1] He later pursued graduate studies in music at Columbia University and Yale University; earning a Master's degree from the latter institution.^[2]

While a student at Northwestern, Henahan joined the news staff of the Chicago Daily News in 1947. He remained with that paper for the next two decades, notably becoming chief music critic of the Daily News in 1957. He concurrently contributed articles as a freelance writer to numerous periodicals; including Esquire, Harper's Bazaar, High Fidelity, Musical Quarterly, Saturday Review, Stereo Review, and The Saturday Evening Post among others.^[1]

In 1967 Henahan left the Chicago Daily News to join the music criticism staff at The New York Times. He became chief music critic of The Times in 1980 and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism in 1986. He remained chief music critc at The Times until his retirement in 1991 when he was succeeded by critic Edward Rothstein.^[2] After his retirement, he periodically contributed articles to The Times through 1997 as a freelance writer.^[3]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Fischer, pg 283
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Times Names a Chief Critic". The New York Times. July 10, 1991. http://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/10/news/times-names-a-chief-critic.html?scp=48&sq=%22Donal+Henahan%22&st=nyt. 
3. ^ Donal Henahan (September 14, 1997). "Trial by Air". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/14/books/trial-by-air.html?scp=30&sq=%22Donal+Henahan%22&st=nyt. 

Bibliography

• Fischer, Heinz Dietrich (1992). Cultural criticism, 1969–1990: from architectural damages to press imperfections. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. http://books.google.com/books?id=orv2YafIdWIC&pg=PA283&lpg=PA283&dq=%22Donal+Henahan%22&source=bl&ots=c2i7pfhmt4&sig=yABX4cT6_mTqwDLMV8kvhL2BbaA&hl=en&ei=QvN1TambKI66sQPOru2xBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CF0Q6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=%22Donal%20Henahan%22&f=false. 

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Name	Henahan, Donal
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Date of birth	February 28, 1921
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