Allen Neuharth

Allen H. Neuharth (born March 22, 1924, Eureka, South Dakota) is an American businessman, author, and columnist. He is the founder of USA Today.

Early life

Neuharth graduated high school from Alpena High School, Alpena, SD, where he was editor of the school's newspaper. At the age of 19, Neuharth served in the Army in World War II. As a member of the U.S. 86th Infantry Division, Neuharth was deployed to France, Germany and the Philippines.

Education

After the war, Neuharth went to the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, where he edited the school newspaper, The Volante. He maintains an affiliation with the university and has an office in the Contemporary Media and Journalism building, The Al Neuharth Media Center. He offers a scholarship called "The Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholarship" honoring graduating high school students who exemplify the qualities of a 'free spirit' and aim to pursue a career in journalism.

News career

Neuharth and fellow USD alum Bill Porter founded "SoDak Sports", a weekly newspaper devoted to covering the sports scene in South Dakota. Despite its initial popularity, "SoDak" went bankrupt in a year's time.

After his failure, Neuharth went to the Miami Herald, where he made his way up to assistant managing editor. In 1960, the Knight newspaper chain (later a part of Knight-Ridder), which owned the Herald, sent him to its Detroit Free Press, which was fighting an uphill battle with the Detroit News, which Neuharth would later buy while at Gannett. [http://www.economicclub.org/Pages/archive/fulltext/arch-neuharth.htm#bio retrieved on June 4, 2007]

After Neuharth realized that he could go no further in the Knight organization due to the Knight family's complete control, he accepted Gannett head Paul Miller's offer to move to Gannett's HQ in Rochester, New York, first to run its paper there, the Democrat and Chronicle; then to run the boardroom under Miller, who he eventually succeeded in 1973. [http://www.economicclub.org/Pages/archive/fulltext/arch-neuharth.htm#bio retrieved on June 4, 2007] He helped to build Gannett into the largest newspaper company in the U.S.

USA Today

Neuharth founded "USA Today" in 1982, the most widely read newspaper in the country. [ [http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=18034 freedomforum.org: Neuharth donates papers to Library of Congress ] ] Neuharth retired from Gannett on March 31 1989, at the age of 65.

Column

Neuharth's columns attempt to provoke controversy; so much so that he offers space for one sentence rebuttals and defense from outsiders.

On December 22, 2004, Neuharth called for American troops to be brought home from the "ill-advised adventures" in Iraq, which he compared to the immorality of the Vietnam war. Neuharth also stated that if he were eligible for service in Iraq, he would do everything possible to avoid it.

Freedom Forum

Neuharth founded and has served as chairman of the Freedom Forum since 1991.

Quotes

"We in the media could help [the insurance situation] if we put in proper perspective long range hurricane forecasts that often are exaggerated and play into insurers' hands." [cite book |author = Neuharth, Al |title = Getting blown away |publisher = Florida Today |date = November 30, 2007]

Family

Neuharth is married to Dr. Rachel Fornes, a Cocoa Beach, Florida, chiropractor, his third wife. They adopted eightchildren. [ [http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=18034 freedomforum.org: Neuharth donates papers to Library of Congress ] ] Neuharth also fathered an out-of-wedlock daughter, Rosamunda Neuharth-Ozgo, but never acknowledged her. [cite book | author = unknown |title = unknown | publisher = New York Post | date = April 7, 2008] [ [http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=22&media_view_id=10039 FAIR] retrieved April 8, 2008]

Notes

References

* Neuharth, Al. "Confessions of an S.O.B." Doubleday, 1989

External links

* [http://www.naa.org/global/presscenter/2004/allen-h.-neuharth-honored-by-naa-for-lifetime-of-achievement.aspx?lg=naaorg NAA Honors Allen H. Neuharth for Lifetime of Achievement]
* [http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/neuharth/2004-12-22-holidays-troops_x.htm USA Today] , "They can only dream of holidays at home" 12/22/2004
* [http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/neuharth/2004-12-16-rumsfeld-neuharth_x.htm USA Today] , "'Shock and awe' or shame and sorrow?" 12/16/2004
* [http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/neuharth/2006-08-03-neuharth_x.htm USA Today] "Dead or alive, slick Castro still smirking" 8/3/2006