William Bernard "Bill" Ziff Sr. (August 1, 1898 – December 20, 1953) was an American publishing executive and author.

Biography

Ziff was born on August 1, 1898. He died on December 20, 1953. Ziff and

Bernard G. Davis Bernard George Davis (December 11, 1906 – August 28, 1972) was an American publishing executive. He and William Bernard Ziff Sr. founded Ziff Davis Inc. in 1927. In 1957, he sold his ownership share of Ziff-Davis to William Ziff Jr., and le ...

founded the magazine publisher Ziff Davis Inc. during 1927. After his death, in 1953, his son, Bill Ziff Jr., succeeded him at Ziff Davis.

Political views

Being of Jewish ancestry and motivated by the power of

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

during the 1930s, Ziff became one of the most prominent American endorsers of Revisionist Zionism. During 1935, he was persuaded by devotees of the Revisionist Zionist spokesman

Ze'ev Jabotinsky Ze'ev Jabotinsky ( he, זְאֵב זַ׳בּוֹטִינְסְקִי, ''Ze'ev Zhabotinski'';, ''Wolf Zhabotinski'' 17 October 1880 – 3 August 1940), born Vladimir Yevgenyevich Zhabotinsky, was a Russian Jewish Revisionist Zionist leade ...

to accept the presidency of the Zionist-Revisionists of America organization although he resigned after one year, being uncomfortable with his role as a Jewish organizational official. Ziff remained active with Zionist politics and caused controversy when he authored during 1938 a criticism of British policy in the Holy Land entitled ''The Rape of Palestine.'' The

British Foreign Office The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Equivalent to other countries' ministries of foreign affairs, it was created on 2 September 2020 through the merger of the Foreign ...

declared the book "violent and offensive" and monitored Ziff thereafter.

Personal life

On July 25, 1923, he married Denea Fischer (1902–1993); together, they had one daughter and later divorced. Ziff married Amelia Mary Morton (1903–1980) with whom he had three children.

References

1898 births 1953 deaths American Jews American magazine founders William B. Sr. Businesspeople from New York (state) American Zionists 20th-century American businesspeople {{US-publish-bio-stub