Joseph Kraft (September 4, 1924 – January 10, 1986) was an American journalist.

Career

Kraft began his career in journalism at the age of 14 where he worked as a stringer covering high school sports for the New York World-Telegram. Kraft worked for the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' and Los Angeles Syndicate since July 1980 where he covered foreign affairs and national security. After working at ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' and ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' in the 1950s, he became a

speechwriter A speechwriter is a person who is hired to prepare and write speeches that will be delivered by another person. Speechwriters are employed by many senior-level elected officials and executives in the government and private sectors. They can also b ...

for 1960 Presidential candidate

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

. His work landed him on the

master list of Nixon political opponents Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans * Grandmaster (chess), National Maste ...

. He served as one of three panelists for the third and final debate, held at Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall at the

College of William & Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William I ...

, in the 1976 presidential election. Kraft was viewed as one of America's foremost analysts of domestic and international affairs. His syndicated column ran in over 200 papers.

Education

Kraft was a graduate of

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. He also attended the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton and the Sorbonne.

Personal life

Kraft died on January 10, 1986, by heart failure at the age of 61. His brother,

Gilman Kraft Gilman Kraft (April 22, 1926 – June 27, 1999) was an American publisher and former owner of ''Playbill''. Biography Kraft was born in Union City, New Jersey on April 22, 1926. During World War II, he served as a Japanese linguist. After gradua ...

, is a publisher who was the former owner of '' Playbill''.

Publications

Kraft was the author of four books: *''The Struggle for Algeria'' (1961) *''The Grand Design'' (1962) *''Profiles in Power'' (1966) *''The Chinese Difference'' (1973) He also wrote an extraordinary journalistic account of the explosion of Mexico's debt crisis in 1982: *
The Mexican Rescue
' (1984)

References

Sources

*McFadden, Robert D. (January 11, 1986). Joseph Kraft, Capital Columnist Whose Work Ran in 200 Papers. ''

'' *Rosenblatt, Roger (Jan. 27, 1986). The Death of a Columnist. ''

Time magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Ma ...

'' *Staff report (February 3, 1986). Joseph Kraft, 1924–1986. (obituary). ''

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' is an American magazine of commentary on politics, contemporary culture, and the arts. Founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement, it attempted to find a balance between "a liberalism centered in hu ...

'' 1924 births 1986 deaths American male journalists Journalists from New York City Columbia College (New York) alumni Ethical Culture Fieldston School alumni 20th-century American writers 20th-century American journalists 20th-century American male writers American expatriates in France {{US-journalist-1920s-stub