Robert Dennis McFadden (born February 11, 1937) is an American journalist who worked for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' from 1961 to 2024. 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 ...

in 1996.

Biography

McFadden was born in

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, and raised in both Chicago and the small town of Cumberland, Wisconsin. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, and graduated from the journalism school of 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 ...

in 1960 with a B.S. in Journalism. He moved to New York City in 1961 with the intention of applying to only one newspaper—the only paper for which he wanted to work—and his hopes were realized when he was soon hired by ''The New York Times''. His literary writing style, strict adherence to journalistic principles, and tireless ability to "beat the deadline" won him accolades as both a writer and journalist, and he has since received numerous awards for excellence in journalism. McFadden, a celebrated Senior Writer, has remained at the ''Times'' for over 60 years, and continues his work through the present day. In 1996, he won the annual Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Reporting, citing "his highly skilled writing and reporting on deadline during the year" (1995).

Career

From 1957 to 1958, McFadden was a reporter for ''The Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune''. From 1958 to 1959, he was a reporter for ''The Wisconsin State Journal'' in Madison and after he graduated from University of Wisconsin–Madison, worked for ''

The Cincinnati Enquirer ''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' is a morning daily newspaper published by Gannett in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. First published in 1841, the ''Enquirer'' is the last remaining daily newspaper in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, altho ...

''. In 1961, he was hired by ''The New York Times'', where he remained for the next six decades as a reporter and rewrite man. His writing has covered a wide range of topics including plane crashes, hurricanes, strikes, blackouts, government affairs, health, crime, transportation, politics, education, the environment, and mass media. McFadden retired from the ''Times'' on September 2, 2024. As of his retirement, he was listed as senior writer on the newspaper's Obituaries desk. Because he focused on advance obituaries, written before the deaths of their subjects, he retired with hundreds of obituaries yet to run.

Personal life

McFadden and his wife Judith have a son named Nolan, and live in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

, New York.

Awards and honors

McFadden has received 18 major journalistic awards and seven ''New York Times'' Publisher’s Awards, He was named a Senior Writer in January 1990. * New York Press Club's Byline Award for Spot News Reporting in 1973, 1974, 1980, 1987 and 1989 * New York Newspaper Guild's Page One Award for Local Reporting * Peter Kihss Award from the Society of the Silurians *

Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Service to Journalism and Mass Communication

Bibliography

* *

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McFadden, Robert D. 1937 births Living people 20th-century American journalists 21st-century American journalists American male journalists The New York Times journalists Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting winners University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Journalism & Mass Communication alumni University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire alumni Writers from Milwaukee Journalists from Milwaukee The Cincinnati Enquirer people People from Cumberland, Wisconsin Obituary writers