Edwin O. Guthman (August 11, 1919 – August 31, 2008) was an American journalist and university professor. While at the ''Seattle Times'', he won the paper's first Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 1950. Guthman was third on Richard Nixon's " Enemies List."

Biography

Guthman was born in Seattle, Washington, graduating from the University of Washington in 1941."Edwin O. Guthman, '41"
''Columns'' (University of Washington alumni magazine), December 2008, p. 53. He entered the Army in 1942. During World War II, he served as an infantry regiment reconnaissance platoon leader in both North Africa and Italy. In 1946, he was discharged as a captain. During his tour, he was awarded the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

and Purple Heart. He was a reporter for the '' Seattle Star'' (1941–1947), and '' The Seattle Times'' (1947–1961). While at the ''Seattle Times'', he won the paper's first Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 1950. His articles provided evidence that the Washington State Un-American Activities Committee suppressed evidence that cleared University of Washington professor Melvin Rader of false charges of being a

Communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

.USC Annenberg School profile. In 1961, he was tapped by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to be his press secretary. He later served in a similar position for one year when Kennedy became U.S. Senator from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

in 1965. As a result of his work with Kennedy, he was third on Nixon's Enemies List. He was the national editor for the '' Los Angeles Times'' from 1965 to 1977 and then the editorial page editor for '' The Philadelphia Inquirer'' (1977–1987). He was a senior lecturer at the USC Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California, where he had been a professor since 1987. He retired in 2007.

Personal life

Guthman died August 31, 2008 at his home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, at the age of 89. He suffered from

amyloidosis Amyloidosis is a group of diseases in which abnormal proteins, known as amyloid fibrils, build up in tissue. There are several non-specific and vague signs and symptoms associated with amyloidosis. These include fatigue, peripheral edema, weight ...

, a rare disease that attacks the internal organs. He was of Jewish descent and was interred at Hillside Memorial Park. He was survived by his four children: Les Guthman, Edwin H. Guthman, Gary Guthman, and Diane Guthman.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Guthman, Ed 1919 births 2008 deaths Jewish American journalists American newspaper editors Educators from Seattle Military personnel from Seattle Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting winners United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army officers Recipients of the Silver Star Nixon's Enemies List Deaths from amyloidosis University of Washington alumni 20th-century American journalists American male journalists Jewish American military personnel