Jonathan Marshall (January 20, 1924 – December 2008) was an American newspaper publisher and philanthropist.
Life
Jonathan was the son of New York City attorney James Marshall and poet
Lenore Guinzberg Marshall. His grandfather
Louis Marshall
Louis Marshall (December 14, 1856 – September 11, 1929) was an American corporate, constitutional and civil rights lawyer as well as a mediator and Jewish community leader who worked to secure religious, political, and cultural freedom for a ...
was a prominent lawyer and Jewish leader. Jonathan had one sister, Ellen Marshall Scholl.
Marshall was dyslexic, but earned a bachelor of science degree in economics and political science from the
University of Colorado
The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University of Co ...
in 1946.
Marshall married Maxine Sue Besser of St Louis in April 1955. He earned a master's degree in journalism from 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 ...
in 1962.
Jonathan and Maxine Marshall had four children: sons Jonathan H. and Robert, and daughters Lucinda and Laura.
Maxine Marshall died in 2015. She was 89.
Publishing and writing
Marshall bought a bankrupt fine art magazine called ''Art Digest'' in 1953 in partnership with
James N. Rosenberg
James N. Rosenberg (1874–1970) was an American lawyer, artist, humanitarian, and writer. In law, he is remembered for his handling of the collapsed business empire of the so-called "Swedish Match King," Ivar Kreuger. In art, he is remembered ...
. After changing the format and changing the name to ''ARTS'', Marshall sold the magazine in 1958 to join the
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...
's Humanities and Arts program. ''ARTS'' would later become ''
Arts Magazine
''Arts Magazine'' was a prominent monthly magazine devoted to fine art. It was established in 1926 and last published in 1992.
History Early years
Launched in 1926 and originally titled ''The Art Digest,'' it was printed semi-monthly from Octobe ...
''.
In 1963, Marshall purchased the ''Scottsdale Daily Progress'' newspaper, and published it for 24 years. He took a brief hiatus in 1974 to run unsuccessfully for
US Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
against
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for presiden ...
.
In 2003, Ruder-Finn Press published Marshall's novel
Reunion in Norway'. The novel was inspired by Marshall's visit to a museum in
Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
which documented the
Norwegian resistance movement
The Norwegian resistance (Norwegian: ''Motstandsbevegelsen'') to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms:
*Asserting the legitimacy of the exiled government, ...
against the
German occupation of Norway
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during the Second World War began on 9 April 1940 after Operation Weserübung. Conventional armed resistance to the German invasion ended on 10 June 1940, and Nazi Germany controlled Norway until the ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
According to 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 ...
School of Journalism and Communication, Marshall,
"...was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize; and was granted the Arizona Press Club’s Distinguished Service Award, the Arizona Newspaper Association’s Master Editor Publisher Award, and the Society of Professional Journalists
The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is the oldest organization representing journalists in the United States. It was established on April 17, 1909, at DePauw University,2009 SPJ Annual Report, letter ...
National First Amendment Award. He served as president of the Arizona Newspaper Association and chairman of the National Newspaper Association
The National Newspaper Association (NNA) is a Pensacola, FL based non-profit newspaper trade association founded in 1885. The organization has over 2,300 members, making it the largest newspaper trade association in the United States. The organiza ...
’s Freedom of Information Committee."
Marshall was inducted into th
Arizona Newspapers Association Hall of Famein 1996, the same year as
Don Bolles
Donald Fifield Bolles (July 10, 1928 – June 13, 1976) was an American investigative reporter for ''The Arizona Republic'' who was known for his coverage of organized crime in the area, especially by the Chicago Outfit. His murder in a car bom ...
and
Charles E. Thornton. Induction was previously a posthumous honor; Marshall was among the first journalists to be inducted during his lifetime.
Civic activities
Marshall was one of the founders o
Temple Solelreform synagogue in
Paradise Valley, Arizona
Paradise Valley is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and a suburb of Phoenix, the state's largest city. It is Arizona's wealthiest municipality. The town is known for its luxury golf courses, shopping, expensive real estate, and ...
.
After Marshall sold the ''Progress'' in 1987, he and Maxine founded The Marshall Fund of Arizona. The fund distributed over $5 million to cultural and charitable concerns.
Autobiography
Marshall penned his autobiography,
Dateline History', shortly before his death. it was published in 2009 by Acacia Publishing in Phoenix, Arizona.
Impact
The ''Progress'' was one of the first newspapers in the country to oppose the Vietnam War. Marshall spoke out against the KKK, supported gun control, and was a frequent target of threats against his life.
Through the ''Progress'', Marshall supported the creation of a
greenbelt
A green belt is a policy and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges, which hav ...
instead of concrete flood-control ditch, which the
had planned for Scottsdale's Indian Bend Wash. The
Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt exists today as "...an oasis of parks, lakes, paths and golf courses traversing 11 miles through the heart of Scottsdale."
The ''East Valley Tribune's''
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
-winning
Ryan Gabrielson
Ryan Gabrielson is an American investigative journalist. He has won a George Polk Award, and Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting.
Education
He graduated from the University of Arizona.
Career
Gabrielson began his career in journalism at '' The Mon ...
wrote of Marshall,
"With the purchase of the ''Scottsdale Progress'' in 1963, Marshall brought a liberal editorial viewpoint that argued for open space, open public meetings and open records."
Inspired by a 1 a.m. vote of the
Scottsdale, Arizona
, settlement_type = City
, named_for = Winfield Scott
, image_skyline =
, image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg
, image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg
, nick ...
city council to approve a $500,000 garbage collection contract, Marshall drafted a new open meeting law for Arizona in 1962. It was revised by the attorney for the ''Progress'',
Bruce Babbitt
The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been a ...
(who would go on to be Arizona attorney general and governor of Arizona, and was appointed
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States secretary of the interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. The secretary and the Department of the Interior are responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land along with natural ...
). The revised version of the open meeting law bill was introduced by then-Arizona state senator and future
United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
Justice,
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor (born March 26, 1930) is an American retired attorney and politician who served as the first female associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. She was both the first woman nominated and th ...
.
The bill was adopted into law. It is found i
Arizona Revised Statutes §§ 38-431 through 38-431.09 an
summarized on the Arizona Ombudsman's website
Marshall said of his open meeting law efforts,
"It strengthened the open meetings law and made it effective, although almost every year some government official in Arizona still tried to get around the law."
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marshall, Jonathan
1924 births
2008 deaths
University of Colorado alumni
University of Oregon alumni
Editors of Arizona newspapers
Arizona Democrats
20th-century American politicians
People with dyslexia