John F. Osborne (March 15, 1907 – May 3, 1981) was an American magazine editor and journalist.

Background

Career

Osborne wrote for the Memphis Commercial Appeal and the Associated Press before joining the

National Recovery Administration The National Recovery Administration (NRA) was a prime agency established by U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) in 1933. The goal of the administration was to eliminate "cut throat competition" by bringing industry, labor, and governmen ...

, and then the Tennessee Valley Authority, as a U.S. government public relations officer during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. He became an editor at Time–Life. In 1940, William Saroyan lists him among "contributing editors" at ''Time'' in the play, ''Love's Old Sweet Song''. Eventually, he became ''Times London editor and then Far East editor (based in Hong Kong) in the 1950s. After returning to the United States, he lived in Georgetown and in Sag Harbor, Long Island, New York. He later became senior editor at ''

New Republic New Republic may refer to: Places * New Republic, California, former name of Santa Rita, Monterey County, California * New Republic (Santarem), district in the city of Santarém, Pará Countries * New Republic (Brazil), the restored civilian gove ...

''.

Awards

Osborne won the Polk Award for magazine journalism in 1973. His work landed him on the first Nixon's Enemies List, a limited master list of famous people that President Nixon considered his direct political opponents.

Personal and death

He married twice. His widow, Gertrude (Trudi) McCullough Osborne, the daughter of an Indiana senator, was also a writer. She died in Washington, D.C. in 1994. She was the mother of his only child, John F. Osborne III (d. 2006) who was married to author Peggy Ann Osborne.

Works

He wrote "The Nixon Watch" column, which was noted for its preoccupation with the relationship between Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, followed by "The White House Watch" column. In addition to his political books, he co-authored two Time-Life series books, one about Britain, the other about the Old South. Known for his courtly manners, he had a slow drawl and a quiet demeanor, which belied his sharp political sense. While in Washington, D.C., he was a very respected member-some said the most respected by the other members—of The White House Press Corps.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Osborne, John F. 1907 births 1981 deaths American male journalists 20th-century American journalists 20th-century American non-fiction writers People from Corinth, Mississippi 20th-century American male writers