- James Russell Wiggins
James Russell Wiggins (
December 4 ,1903 inLuverne, Minnesota –November 19 ,2000 inBrooklin, Maine ) was managing editor of "The Washington Post " andUnited States Ambassador to the United Nations .In Minnesota
Wiggins' first job in journalism was as reporter for the "
Rock County Star " in Luverne, Minnesota immediately out of high school. In 1925, at the age of 22, he borrowed $10,000 and bought the newspaper. In 1930, he moved to St. Paul to become an editorial writer for the "Pioneer Press " and later served as Washington correspondent before becoming managing editor in 1938."Washington Post" years
During
World War II , Wiggins served in Army Air Corps intelligence. While serving in the army, he metPhilip Graham who would later become publisher of "The Washington Post".Graham made Wiggins managing editor of "The Post" in 1947 and promoted him to executive editor in 1955. One of his first acts as editor was to end racial identification in news articles. In 1954 Wiggins Received the Elijah Parish Lovejoy Award as well as an honorary
Doctor of Laws degree fromColby College . He was president of theAmerican Society of Newspaper Editors in 1959-60. Wiggins took over the "Post"'s editorial page in 1961.U.N. ambassador
President
Lyndon Johnson appointed Wiggins U.S. ambassador to theUnited Nations in 1968 to 1969 during theLyndon Johnson presidency. In 1969 Wiggins received an LL.D. fromBates College .Later years
After his tenure as ambassador, Wiggins moved to Brooklin, Maine where he became editor and publisher of the "
The Ellsworth American " ofEllsworth, Maine . He received the Eugene Cervi Award from the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors in 1987.Wiggins was married to his high school sweetheart, Mabel Preston, and their marriage lasted 67 years until her death in 1990.
References
* Estabrook, Robert H. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3771/is_200104/ai_n8943978 "James Wiggins, journalistic legend"] . "The Masthead". Spring 2001
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