Robert Leroy Bartley (October 12, 1937 – December 10, 2003) was the
editor
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, a ...
of the editorial page of ''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' for more than 30 years. He won a
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...
for opinion writing and received the
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President ...
from the
Bush administration in 2003. Bartley, a graduate of Iowa State University, was famed for providing a conservative interpretation of the news every day, especially regarding economic issues. The ''Forbes Media Guide Five Hundred, 1994'' states:
According to Forbes tabloid, editor Bartley's influence stems largely from his intelligent, fearless editorship of the ''Journals editorial and op-ed pages. Robert L. Bartley Fellowships are named in his honor.
Personal
Bartley was the son of a professor of
veterinary
Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in non-human animals. The scope of veterinary medicine is wide, covering all animal species, both ...
medicine. He was born in
Marshall, Minnesota
Marshall is a city in Lyon County, Minnesota, Lyon County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,628 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and 13,906 as of 2023 estimates. Marshall is a regional center in southwest Minnesota ...
and grew up in
Ames, Iowa
Ames () is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States, located approximately north of Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines in central Iowa. It is the home of Iowa State University (ISU). According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Ames ha ...
. Bartley received a bachelor's degree in journalism from
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricult ...
and a master's degree in political science from the
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...
. His wife Edith had three daughters with him.
Professional
Bartley started at the Journal in 1962. After working as a staff reporter in the Chicago and Philadelphia bureaus, he became part of the editorial page staff in 1964. In 1972, he became editor of the editorial page, and in 1979 the editor of the Journal. He earned the 1979
Gerald Loeb Award
The Gerald Loeb Awards, also referred to as the Gerald Loeb Awards for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism, is a recognition of excellence in journalism, especially in the fields of business, finance and the economy. The award was e ...
for Columns/Editorial. In 1980, he won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. In 1982, John Tebbel, professor emeritus of journalism at
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
, called Bartley "the most influential editorial writer of my time."
In 1983, Bartley was named a
vice president
A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...
of
Dow Jones & Company
Dow Jones & Company, Inc. (also known simply as Dow Jones) is an American publishing firm owned by News Corp, and led by CEO Almar Latour. The company publishes ''The Wall Street Journal'', '' Barron's'', '' MarketWatch'', ''Mansion Global'' ...
, owner of
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
.
Bartley was the author of "The Seven Fat Years: And How to Do It Again," published in 1992, a book on the economic policy of the
Reagan administration.
In December 2002, Bartley stepped down as editor of the Wall Street Journal editorial page. In December 2003, a week before Bartley died of cancer,
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
announced that Bartley was being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor.
On the free market, he said "In general, 'the market' is smarter than the smartest of its individual participants."
A supporter of
NAFTA
The North American Free Trade Agreement (, TLCAN; , ALÉNA), referred to colloquially in the Anglosphere as NAFTA, ( ) was an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States that created a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The ...
, Bartley is said to have observed to a former colleague,
Peter Brimelow
Peter Brimelow (born October 13, 1947) is an American white supremacist writer. He is the founder of the website VDARE, an anti-immigration site associated with white supremacy, white nationalism, and the alt-right.
Brimelow was previously a w ...
, "I think the nation-state is finished." Alongside his support for the free flow of goods, Bartley supported the free flow of labour across borders. He controversially wrote in favor of open borders and high rates of immigration to the United States. After then Mexican President,
Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox Quesada (; born 2 July 1942) is a Mexican businessman and politician who served as the 62nd president of Mexico from 2000 to 2006. After campaigning as a Right-wing populism, right-wing populist, Fox was elected president on the Nat ...
, declared in a speech in 2001 that "NAFTA should evolve into something like the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
, with open borders for not only goods and investment but also people", Bartley wrote in support of having open borders between
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
and the United States. Indeed, in that July 2, 2001
Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
editorial, Bartley reminded readers that "during the immigration debate of 1984 we suggested an ultimate goal to guide passing policies--a constitutional amendment: 'There shall be open borders.'"
Bartley Fellowship
Robert L. Bartley Fellowships, named in honor of Bartley, are paid internships of one to six months at ''Wall Street Journal'' offices in the U.S., Europe, or Asia.
Fellows assist in researching and writing editorials, editing op-ed articles, editing "Leisure & Arts" page features, and editing letters to the editor for the ''Journal'' and its website.
Bartley Fellows have included
Sohrab Ahmari
Sohrab Ahmari (; born February 1, 1985) is an Iranian Americans, Iranian-born American columnist, editor, and author of nonfiction books. He is a founding editor of the online magazine ''Compact (American magazine), Compact''. He is a contributin ...
,
Elisabeth Eaves
Elisabeth Eaves is an author and journalist born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Biography
On graduating from the University of Washington in 1996, Eaves worked as an exotic dancer at the Lusty Lady peep show in Seattle for a year. He ...
,
Joseph Malchow
Joseph Malchow is an American entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He is the founding general partner at HNVR Technology Investment Management, an investment company based in Portola Valley.
Malchow as a venture capitalist supports high-tech co ...
,
Joseph Rago
Joseph Rago (January 6, 1983 – July 20, 2017) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American political writer, best known for his work at ''The Wall Street Journal''.
Education
Rago attended Falmouth High School in Falmouth, Massachusetts, where ...
,
Mira Sethi
Mira Sethi (born January 12, 1987) is a Pakistani actor and writer. The daughter of journalists and former politicians Najam Sethi and Jugnu Mohsin, Sethi attended Lahore Grammar School and Cheltenham Ladies' College. She graduated from Welles ...
and
Bari Weiss
Bari Weiss ( ; born March 25, 1984) is an American journalist. She was an op-ed and book review editor at ''The Wall Street Journal'' from 2013 to 2017 and an op-ed staff editor and writer on culture and politics at ''The New York Times'' fro ...
.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bartley, Robert L.
1937 births
2003 deaths
People from Marshall, Minnesota
The American Spectator people
The Wall Street Journal people
University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni
Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing winners
Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients
Ames High School alumni
Gerald Loeb Award winners for Columns, Commentary, and Editorials