John Shaw Billings (1898–1975) was the first editor of ''

Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

'' magazine and first managing editor of

Time-Life Time Life, Inc. (also habitually represented with a hyphen as Time-Life, Inc., even by the company itself) was an American multi-media conglomerate company formerly known as a prolific production/publishing company and Direct marketing, direct ...

Background

Billings descended from U.S. Senator

James Henry Hammond James Henry Hammond (November 15, 1807 – November 13, 1864) was an American attorney, politician, and Planter (American South), planter. He served as a United States representative from 1835 to 1836, the 60th Governor of South Carolina from 1842 ...

(1807–1864). His grandfather (also

John Shaw Billings John Shaw Billings (April 12, 1838 – March 11, 1913) was an American librarian, building designer, and surgeon who modernized the Library of the Surgeon General's Office in the United States Army. His work with Andrew Carnegie led to the de ...

) was an Army medical doctor during the Civil War. After the war, he established an Army medical library with the first modern bibliographical system for medical knowledge. He later became one of the best-known, early 20th-century librarians as director of the

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...

. Billings was born at Redcliffe manor in

Beech Island, South Carolina Beech Island is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Aiken County, South Carolina, United States.Walter Edgar, Ed.: ''The South Carolina Encyclopedia'', The University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, S.C., 2006, p. ...

, a plantation built by his great-grandfather the senator (famed for the saying "Cotton is king"). He left

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

to drive ammunition trucks for the army of France in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Career

After the great war, Billings became a reporter for the ''

Bridgeport Telegram The ''Connecticut Post'' is a daily newspaper located in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It serves Fairfield County and the Lower Naugatuck Valley. Municipalities in the Post's circulation area include Ansonia, Bridgeport, Darien, Derby, Easton, ...

''. Fired for his

purple prose In literary criticism, purple prose is overly ornate prose text that may disrupt a narrative flow by drawing undesirable attention to its own extravagant style of writing, thereby diminishing the appreciation of the prose overall. Purple prose i ...

, he joined the ''

Brooklyn Daily Eagle The ''Brooklyn Eagle'' (originally joint name ''The Brooklyn Eagle'' and ''Kings County Democrat'', later ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'' before shortening title further to ''Brooklyn Eagle'') was an afternoon daily newspaper published in the city ...

'' as its Washington correspondent. In 1928, Billings began working for ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' magazine, again as Washington correspondent (and replacing

Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. (July 5, 1902 – February 27, 1985) was an American diplomat and politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States Senate and served as United States Ambassador to the United Nations in the administration of Pre ...

). In 1929, he became National Affairs editor. By 1933, he became ''Times managing editor. In 1936, Luce asked him to become the first editor of ''Life''. In 1944, he became deputy editorial director under Luce for Time-Life's four publications: ''Time'', ''Life'', ''

Architectural Forum ''Architectural Forum'' was an American magazine that covered the homebuilding industry and architecture. Started in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1892 as ''The Brickbuilder'', it absorbed the magazine ''Architect's World'' in October 1938. Ownershi ...

'', and ''

Fortune Fortune may refer to: General * Fortuna or Fortune, the Roman goddess of luck * Luck * Wealth * Fate * Fortune, a prediction made in fortune-telling * Fortune, in a fortune cookie Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Fortune'' (19 ...

''. He retired in the 1950s.

Personal and death

In the 1930s, Billings bought and restored the Hammond family's

Savannah River The Savannah River is a major river in the Southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and South Carolina. The river flows from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, ...

home "Redcliffe." After visiting him there,

Henry R. Luce Henry Robinson Luce (April 3, 1898 – February 28, 1967) was an American magazine magnate who founded ''Time'', ''Life'', ''Fortune'', and ''Sports Illustrated'' magazines. He has been called "the most influential private citizen in the Ameri ...

bought Mepkin Plantation (now

Mepkin Abbey Mepkin Abbey is a Trappist monastery in Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States. The abbey is located near Moncks Corner, at the junction of the two forks of the Cooper River northwest of Charleston, and is located in the Diocese of C ...

) for his wife, Claire Booth Luce. Billings died in late August 1975.

Legacy

At time of death,

Edward K. Thompson Edward Kramer Thompson (January 15, 1907 – October 8, 1996) was an American writer and editor. He was the editor of ''Life'' from its early days as a weekly and was the founding editor of '' Smithsonian'' magazine. Biography Thompson was born ...

, a following ''Life'' managing editor (1949–1961) said of Billings, "He lived his entire life by what landed on his desk. He interpreted the world as something he edited, whether text or pictures. He was an editor's editor." In 1975, the Billings family gave the first major endowment for the newly expanded Thomas Cooper Library. "Funds generated by the John Shaw Billings Library Endowment have provided for the acquisition of significant materials for the Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections (such as the Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493) and for other library needs." The library also houses the John Shaw Billings Papers and Collections, as well as those of his ancestor, U.S. Senator James Henry Hammond (1807-1864). A Time-Life-Fortune collection, 1886-1964, is also archived there.

References

External sources