Drew Pearson

Drew Pearson (December 13, 1897–September 1, 1969), born in Evanston, Illinois was one of the most prominent American newspaper and radio journalists of his day. He was best known for his muckraking syndicated newspaper column "Washington Merry-Go-Round". (From user talk:MyRedDice), Yes, all my images are in public domain. ... (From user talk:MyRedDice), Yes, all my images are in public domain. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... Incorporated City in 1872. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... In American English, a muckraker is a journalist or an author who searches for and exposes scandals and abuses occurring in business and politics. ...

Biography

Pearson's father, Paul Pearson, who was a Quaker, became professor of public speaking at Swarthmore College, and the family moved to Pennsylvania in 1902. After being educated at Phillips Exeter Academy, Pearson attended Swarthmore where he edited its student newspaper, The Phoenix. Paul M. Pearson (1871 - 1938) was a noted Quaker educator, editor, and speaker, a professor of public speaking at Swarthmore College, the first civilian governor of the United States Virgin Islands, an assistant director of the United States Housing Authority, and a leading founder and executive in the Chautauqua movement. ... The Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, or Friends, is a religious community founded in England in the 17th century. ... Swarthmore College is a private liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1450 students. ... Official language(s) English, Pennsylvania Dutch Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... Phillips Exeter Academy (also called Exeter, Phillips Exeter, or PEA) is a co-educational independent boarding school for grades 9-12, located on 619 acres in Exeter, New Hampshire, USA, fifty miles north of Boston. ...

In 1929, he became a writer for The Baltimore Sun. As a strong supporter of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Pearson's articles were frequently censored by the conservative Sun, so in 1941, he left to work for The Washington Post. The Sun is the newspaper of record for Baltimore, Maryland, with a daily press run of 247,193 copies and a Sunday run of 418,670 copies (9/30/05 Audit Bureau of Circulations report). ... FDR redirects here. ... Conservatism is a political philosophy that usually favors traditional values and strong foreign defense. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... The Washington Post is the largest newspaper in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. ...

With Robert S. Allen, he co-wrote anonymously "Washington Merry-Go-Round" in 1931 and went on to write the column of the same name. Robert S. Allen was a well known Washington D.C. correspondent and Washington bureau chief for The Christian Science Monitor. ...

During World War II he worked as a radio broadcaster. In 1943 he hired David Karr as his chief aide, and in 1945 Jack Anderson for the staff of his column, the "Merry-Go-Round", which Anderson took over after Pearson's death in 1969. Combatants Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Chiang Kai-shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000,000 Total... David Harold Karr also David Carr, born David Katz. ... Jackson Northman Anderson (October 19, 1922 – December 17, 2005) was an American newspaper columnist and is considered one of the fathers of modern investigative journalism. ...

During WWII, Drew Pearson made a practice of reporting classified information provided on background, but did it in the form of "predictions". It is not possible to isolate how many soldiers and sailors died from enemy exploitation of the information he thus leaked.

Drew Pearson reported the General George S. Patton Jr "Slapping" incident as a distraction to his support of Sumner Welles, a friend who served as Undersecretary of State. Cordell Hull, the Secretary of State had been appointed to placate southern Democrats, and FDR had worked around Hull through Sumner Welles to implement his "Good Neighbor Policy" with South America. Cordell Hull was offended, and had friends leak rumors about Sumner Welles' sexual preferences, suggesting that Welles was a security risk. Drew Pearson, who was pro-Russia, attempted to apply pressure against Hull, reporting that it was US policy to "bleed Russia white." FDR in an address referred to Drew Pearson as a "chronic liar", and Sumner Welles resigned.

Drew Pearson seized on the several month old story of Patton slapping a soldier who was AWOL, in the presence of medical officers who had not followed Patton's orders to check cowardice by returning soldiers with "battle fatigue" to their units. Drew Pearson left out the part about the soldier being AWOL, and the part about the medical officers not following orders. Patton was given a personal reprimand, and ordered to apologize, despite the fact that the Articles of War (a predecessor to the Uniform Code of Military Justice) at that time authorized officers to summarily execute soldiers for cowardice.

He had a role in the downfall of U.S. Congressman John Parnell Thomas and Chairman of the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1948. An opponent of McCarthyism, and his charges against the fiercely anti-Communist, James V. Forrestal, may have contributed to Forrestal's "mental breakdown" and resignation as US Secretary of Defense. A 1947 comic book published by the Catechetical Guild Educational Society warning of the dangers of a Communist takeover. ... James Vincent Forrestal (February 15, 1892–May 22, 1949) was a Secretary of the Navy and the first United States Secretary of Defense (1947 - 1949). ... Seal of the United States Department of Defense. ...

The later release of the Venona Project intercepts revealed that the McCarthy and Thomas probes did identify many communist spies in the government.

Drew Pearson had one daughter, Elen, in a short marriage to Felicia Giczcky, daughter of the newspaper scion Cissy Patterson and Count Joseph Giczcky of Poland. Eleanor Medill Cissy Patterson (November 7, 1884 - July 24, 1948) was an American journalist and newspaper editor, publisher and owner. ...

Washington Merry-Go-Round

The Washington Merry-Go-Round column started as a result of the anonymous publication in 1931 of the book, Washington Merry-Go-Round (New York: Horace Liveright and Co.), co-written with Robert S. Allen. The book comprised a collection of muckraking news items concerning key figures in public life that challenged the journalistic code of the day. In 1932, it was followed by a second book, More Merry-Go-Round. The success of the books led to the introduction of the syndicated column, the Washington Merry-Go-Round, that same year. 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... Robert S. Allen was a well known Washington D.C. correspondent and Washington bureau chief for The Christian Science Monitor. ... Print Syndication is a form of syndication in which news articles, columns, or comic strips are made available to newspapers and magazines. ...

At the time of his retirement in 1969, the column was syndicated to more than 600 newspapers, with an estimated 60 million readers, and was famous for its investigative style of journalism. For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ...

American University Library originally received the typescript copies of the columns distributed to newspapers around the country in 1992. Since then, the library embarked upon a project to digitize the collection, making it available to researchers and journalism students around the world. Digitization of content from 1953 – 1969 is slated to be complete in 2006^[1]. For other universities known as American University, see American University (disambiguation). ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

The Parnell Thomas affair

Pearson was critical of some of the actions and statements of powerful U.S. Congressman John Parnell Thomas and his methods as Chairman of the House Committee on Un-American Activities that saw the ultimate imprisonment of the "Hollywood Ten". Rumors about corrupt practices on the part of Thomas were confirmed when Thomas's secretary, Helen Campbell, sent documents to Pearson which he used to expose the corruption in an August 4, 1948 newspaper article. As a result, Thomas had to resign and was charged, tried, convicted and sent to prison. Type Bicameralism Houses Senate House of Representatives United States Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D, since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D, since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups (as of November 7, 2006 elections) Democratic Party Republican... J. Parnell Thomas (January 16, 1895 – November 19, 1970) was an American lawyer, stockbroker, politician and convicted criminal. ... The House Committee on Un-American Activities or HUAC (1945-1975) was an investigating committee of the United States House of Representatives. ... Protestors opposing the jailing of the Hollywood Ten in 1950 (from the 1987 documentary Legacy of the Hollywood Blacklist). ... August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ...

McCarthyite Witch-hunt

In the early 1950s Pearson was one of the few journalists to stand up against McCarthyism. McCarthy (who once reportedly kneed Pearson in the groin) referred to Karr as Pearson's "KGB handler". Karr (born David Katz) had been exposed by the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1943 as having worked for two years on the staff of the Communist newspaper Daily Worker. In response it was asserted that Karr only joined the Daily Worker because he wanted to get into baseball games for free. The highest Karr got in the newspaper was covering home Yankee games. Another member of Pearson's staff, Andrew Older, along with his wife, was identified in 1951 as a Communist Party member in testimony before the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee. Older's sister, Julia Older, was also suspected of having spied for the Soviet Union. A 1947 comic book published by the Catechetical Guild Educational Society warning of the dangers of a Communist takeover. ... The KGB emblem and motto: The sword and the shield KGB (transliteration of КГБ) is the Russian-language abbreviation for Committee for State Security, (Russian: ; Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti). ... HUAC hearings House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC or HCUA) (1938–1975) was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. ... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization, based upon common ownershipmovement]]. Early forms of human social organization have been described as primitive communism by Marxists. ... A view of the playing field at Busch Stadium II St. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 23, 32, 37, 44, 49 Name New York Yankees (1913–present) New York Highlanders (1903-1912) Baltimore Orioles (1901-1902) (Also referred to as... The Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA) is a Marxist-Leninist political party in the United States. ... Julia Older was an American who worked in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), during World War II. Older lived in Moscow in the 1930s and worked for numerous Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA) organizations. ...

Those accusing Pearson of having been either pro-Communist or "soft on Communism" called attention not only to the affiliations of his subordinates but also to his support for policy positions and personal actions that worked to the advantage of international Communism. He was an early and vociferous critic of the anti-Communist government of Chiang Kai-shek in China. He was responsible for publicizing the infamous slapping incidents by America's most outspokenly anti-Soviet General, George S. Patton, Jr., which led to Patton's being relieved of command of the Seventh Army, and he made charges against the fiercely anti-Communist Secretary of Defense, James V. Forrestal, prior to Forrestal's removal by President Harry S. Truman. Chiang Kai-shek (October 31, 1887 – April 5, 1975) was a Chinese military and political leader who assumed the leadership of the Kuomintang (KMT) after the 1925 death of Sun Yat-sen. ... General George Smith Patton Jr. ... James Vincent Forrestal (February 15, 1892–May 22, 1949) was a Secretary of the Navy and the first United States Secretary of Defense (1947 - 1949). ... The presidential seal was first used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... President Truman announces that Germany had surrendered (May 8 1945) Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) was the thirty-third President of the United States (1945–1953); as Vice President, he succeeded to the office upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. ...

After Forrestal's death from a fall from a 16th floor window of the Bethesda Naval Hospital, Pearson wrote that Forrestal had attempted suicide on four previous occasions, lending credence to the conclusion that Forrestal's death had been a suicide. Pearson's claim of previous suicide attempts by Forrestal is corroborated by no known evidence, and was contradicted by the testimony of Forrestal's attending physicians at Bethesda^[2]. The National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, also known as the Bethesda Naval Hospital, is considered the flagship of the United States Navys system of medical centers. ... Suicide (from Latin sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the willful act of killing oneself. ...

Published works

• Washington Merry-Go-Round (New York: Horace Liveright, 1931).
• More Merry-Go-Round (1932)
• American Diplomatic Game (New York: Doubleday, Doran & Co., 1935),
• U.S.A.: Second Class Power? (1958),
• The Case Against Congress: a Compelling Indictment of Corruption on Capitol Hill (1958)
• The Senator Double Day (1968)
• The President Double Day (1970)
• Diaries, 1949-1959 (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1974),
• Nine Old Men (American Constitutional and Legal History) with Robert Allen, (1974) ISBN 0-306-70609-1

Awards & recognition

He holds two honorary degrees, Norway's Medal of St. Olav, the French Legion of Honour, and the Star of Italian Solidarity Norwegian orders and medals is a list of Norwegian orders and medals. ... French Legion of Honor The Légion dhonneur (in Legion of Honor (AmE) or Legion of Honour (ComE)) is an Order of Chivalry awarded by the President of France. ... There are currently five Italian orders of merit that recognize contributions to the Italian nation. ...

Quotes

"I just operate with a sense of smell: if something smells wrong, I go to work.^[3]"

"His ill-considered falsehoods have come to the point where he is doing much harm to his own Government and to other nations. It is a pity that anyone anywhere believes anything he writes." --President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Pearson, in letter to General Patrick J. Hurley, August 30, 1943, cited in Patrick J. Hurley, a biography by Don Lohbeck, 1956.

Trivia

Pearson appeared as himself in the 1951 science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still. His character is the only journalist who urges calm and restraint while Washington is panicked by the escape of the alien visitor Klaatu. The Day the Earth Stood Still is a 1951 science fiction film that tells the story of a humanoid alien who comes to Earth to warn its leaders not to take their conflicts into space, or they will face lethal consequences. ... Klaatu was a Canadian progressive rock band in the late 1970s and early 1980s. ...

References

1. ^ Gregor, Clark. American University Library Offers Digitized Columns From Ground-Breaking Journalist, Drew Pearson. American University News. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
2. ^ Willcutts (Admiral), M.D. (October, 2004). Willcutts Report on the Death of James V. Forrestal (1949). Princeton University. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
3. ^ Querulous Quaker. Time Magazine (Dec. 13, 1948). Retrieved on 2006-09-12.

For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ...

External links

• Time Magazine Dec. 13, 1948
• Washington Merry-Go-Round from 1932 – 1952 online.