William Arthur Hilliard (May 28, 1927 – January 16, 2017) was an American
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
. He was
editor
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, 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, orga ...
of ''
The Oregonian
''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 185 ...
'', the major daily newspaper in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
, from 1987 to 1994 and was that newspaper's first
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
editor. He was also president of the
American Society of Newspaper Editors
The American Society of News Editors (ASNE) was a membership organization for editors, producers or directors in charge of journalistic organizations or departments, deans or faculty at university journalism schools, and leaders and faculty of ...
in 1993–94.
Early life and education
Hilliard was born on May 28, 1927, in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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,
but lived in
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
until age 8, then moving to
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
.
As a youth, he applied for a job as a
newspaper delivery boy for ''
The Oregonian
''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 185 ...
'', but his application was rejected out of concerns that having a
black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
delivery boy would not be acceptable to the paper's
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
subscribers.
[ Retrieved May 14, 2012.] He graduated from
Benson Polytechnic High School
Benson Polytechnic High School is a technical public high school in the Portland Public Schools district. It is temporarily located in Portland's Lents neighborhood while a renovation project is underway at its campus in the Central Eastside ...
, where he had worked on the school newspaper, and spent a year in the
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
after being drafted at the end of the Second World War.
[
Hilliard studied journalism at Vanport College][ (now ]Portland State University
Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades ...
) and then the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...
, before transferring in 1950 to Pacific University
Pacific University is a private university in Forest Grove, Oregon. Founded in 1849 as the Tualatin Academy, the original Forest Grove campus is west of Portland. The university maintains three other campuses in Eugene, Hillsboro, and Wood ...
, in Forest Grove, from which he graduated in 1952 with a degree in journalism. While at Pacific, he was managing editor of the university's then-weekly newspaper, ''The Pacific Index
''The Pacific Index'' is the student-run newspaper of Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, United States. The biweekly paper is a member of the College Publisher Network.
History
Pacific University started a campus newspaper in 1893 as a m ...
'', starting in December 1950, and was the paper's elected editor for the 1951–52 school year.[
]
Career
After leaving Pacific University, Hilliard started the ''Portland Challenger'', a weekly publication targeted at the local black population. He was publisher and editor until it ceased publication a year and a half later. He took a job as a copy boy at ''The Oregonian'' with the hope of eventually becoming a general assignment reporter.
Hilliard worked at ''The Oregonian'' from 1952 to 1994, starting as a copy boy
A copy boy is a typically young and junior worker on a newspaper. The job involves taking typed stories from one section of a newspaper to another. According to Bruce Guthrie, the former editor-in-chief of the '' Herald Sun'' who began work ther ...
, and then rising to clerk, sports reporter
Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted to the social elite and transitioned into an integral part of the n ...
, religion and general assignment reporter, and in 1965 assistant city editor
A city editor is a title used by a particular section editor of a newspaper. They are responsible for the daily changes of a particular issue of a newspaper that will be released in the coming day. Mostly they stay at the publication at night and t ...
. In 1971, he became city editor, and in 1982 was named executive editor. He oversaw the merging of the paper with the ''Oregon Journal
''The Oregon Journal'' was Portland, Oregon's daily afternoon newspaper from 1902 to 1982. The ''Journal'' was founded in Portland by C. S. "Sam" Jackson, publisher of Pendleton, Oregon's ''East Oregonian'' newspaper, after a group of Portlander ...
'' in 1982. His first big story was the Holt Korean Babylift in 1956. When he was named city editor it was considered national news, warranting an article in ''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 Mar ...
''. In 1980 he served as one of four panelists in the nationally televised debates between President Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
and Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
.
In 1987, Hilliard was named editor
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, 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, orga ...
of ''The Oregonian'', with "full control over the newspaper's news and editorial departments." He was the newspaper's first African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
editor. He introduced zoned suburban coverage and expanded coverage of minorities issues, as well as increasing the hiring of minorities by the paper. While he was editor two staffers complained to him about how the nicknames of sports teams were demeaning to Native Americans. Under Hilliard's leadership ''The Oregonian
''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 185 ...
'' stopped using demeaning sports nicknames in 1992, and the newspaper also stopped identifying people by race in crime stories unless absolutely necessary.
Hilliard served as president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors
The American Society of News Editors (ASNE) was a membership organization for editors, producers or directors in charge of journalistic organizations or departments, deans or faculty at university journalism schools, and leaders and faculty of ...
(ASNE) in 1993–94, the first African-American to be elected to that position. In 1993, he was given the President's Award of the National Association of Black Journalists
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is an organization of African-American journalists, students, and media professionals. Founded in 1975 in Washington, D.C., by 44 journalists, the NABJ's stated purpose is to provide quality p ...
, which called him a role model. He remained editor of ''The Oregonian'' until retiring in 1994, although during the last year of his tenure with the paper he gave his designated successor, executive editor Sandra M. Rowe, effective control of the editor's duties and focused his attention on ASNE duties.[
In 1998, Hilliard was given the Oregon Newspaper Hall of Fame Award by the ]Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
The Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association is a trade association for all paid-circulation daily, weekly, and multi-weekly newspapers in the U.S. state of Oregon. It represents and promotes newspapers, and encourages excellence in reporting and ...
.
In 2002, when it was discovered that ''USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' reporter Jack Kelley had fabricated some of his stories, ''USA Today'' turned to Hilliard, along with veteran editors John Seigenthaler Sr.
John Lawrence Seigenthaler ( ; July 27, 1927 – July 11, 2014) was an American journalist, writer, and political figure. He was known as a prominent defender of First Amendment rights.
Seigenthaler joined the Nashville newspaper ''The ...
and Bill Kovach
Bill Kovach ( sq, Bill Kovaçi, born 1932) is an American journalist, former Washington bureau chief of '' The New York Times'', former editor of the ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'', and co-author of the book ''The Elements of Journalism: What N ...
, to monitor the investigation.
Death
Hilliard died on January 16, 2017, in Portland, of congestive heart failure, at the age of 89.
References
External links
Hilliard biography at Blackpast
Hilliard in ''Jet''
June 18, 1953
Hilliard in ''Jet''
April 19, 1993
interview on the death of Dick Bogle
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hilliard, William A.
1927 births
2017 deaths
African-American history in Portland, Oregon
African-American history of Oregon
African-American journalists
Benson Polytechnic High School alumni
Editors of Oregon newspapers
Journalists from Portland, Oregon
Pacific University alumni
People from Chicago
The Oregonian people
University of Oregon alumni
United States Navy personnel of World War II
20th-century African-American people
21st-century African-American people