Paul Francis Conrad (June 27, 1924 – September 4, 2010) was an American
political cartoonist
An editorial cartoonist, also known as a political cartoonist, is an artist who draws editorial cartoons that contain some level of political or social commentary. Their cartoons are used to convey and question an aspect of daily news or curren ...
and winner of three
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 ...
s for
editorial cartooning
An editorial cartoonist, also known as a political cartoonist, is an artist who draws editorial cartoons that contain some level of political or social commentary. Their cartoons are used to convey and question an aspect of daily news or curren ...
. In the span of a career lasting five decades, Conrad provided a critical perspective on eleven presidential administrations in the United States. He is best known for his work as the chief editorial cartoonist for the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' during a time when the newspaper was in transition under the direction of publisher
Otis Chandler
Otis Chandler (November 23, 1927 – February 27, 2006) was the publisher of the ''Los Angeles Times'' between 1960 and 1980, leading a large expansion of the newspaper and its ambitions. He was the fourth and final member of the Chandler fami ...
, who recruited Conrad from the ''
Denver Post
''The Denver Post'' is a daily newspaper and website published in Denver, Colorado. As of June 2022, it has an average print circulation of 57,265. In 2016, its website received roughly six million monthly unique visitors generating more than 13 ...
''.
At the conservative ''Times'', Conrad brought a more liberal editorial perspective that readers both celebrated and criticized; he was also respected for his talent and his ability to speak truth to power. On a weekly basis, Conrad addressed the
social justice
Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fu ...
issues of the day—poverty in America, movements for civil rights, the Vietnam War, the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and corporate and political corruption were leading topics. His criticism of president
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
during the
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's continual ...
landed Conrad on
Nixon's Enemies List
"Nixon's Enemies List" is the informal name of what started as a list of President of the United States Richard Nixon's major political opponents compiled by Charles Colson, written by George T. Bell (assistant to Colson, White House Counsel, sp ...
, which Conrad regarded as a badge of honor.
Early life
Conrad was born to Robert and Florence Conrad. He was raised in a conservative, Catholic family with his identical twin brother James and older brother Bob in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County, Iowa, Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River (Iowa River), Cedar River, north of Iowa City, Iowa, Iowa City and north ...
. He attended St. Augustin Elementary School in
Des Moines
Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...
, where he first began to show interest in art by writing on the bathroom wall.
He was left-handed, but was forced by teachers to favor his right hand. Until the age of 12, Conrad stuttered.
[Longden, T. (2009, March 25)]
Famous Iowans - Paul Conrad
''The Des Moines Register''. Retrieved August 11, 2014. At an early age, Conrad was exposed to the work of
Jay Norwood Darling
Jay Norwood Darling (October 21, 1876 – February 12, 1962), better known as Ding Darling, was an American cartoonist who won two Pulitzer Prizes. He was an important figure in the 20th century conservation movement and founded the National Wil ...
, more popularly known as "Ding Darling", whose conservative cartoons were featured in local newspapers and who became a "childhood role model" for Conrad.
[Smith, G. (1997). ''Celebrating Success: Inspiring Personal Letters on the Meaning of Success''. Health Communications. .]
After graduating from Roosevelt High School, he and his brother spent time working construction jobs in
Valdez, Alaska
Valdez ( ; Alutiiq: ) is a city in the Chugach Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to the 2020 US Census, the population of the city is 3,985, up from 3,976 in 2010. It is the third most populated city in Alaska's Unorganized Borou ...
. Conrad also honed his talent as a musician while playing piano in a bordello.
With
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 ...
raging, Conrad and his brother enlisted. Because of his poor eyesight, Conrad was initially found to be unfit for military service, but he later served as a truck driver with the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
, colors =
, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
, battles =
, battles_label = Wars
, website =
, commander1 = ...
in the
Pacific Theater of Operations at Guam and Okinawa, where he was given the nickname of "Con". He originally planned to attend
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...
after the war in 1945, but instead taught himself to play bass and joined a big band.
[Schudel, M. (2010, September 5)]
Pulitzer-winning political cartoonist Paul Conrad dies at 86
''The Washington Post'', p. B04.
When the band did not work out, Conrad enrolled at the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...
in 1946, where he studied art. He first got the idea to become a cartoonist while hanging out at a local bar in Iowa City. At the bar, his friend Charlie Carroll, then the editor for the school's newspaper, the ''
Daily Iowan'', told Conrad that they needed a cartoonist, and he invited Conrad to give it a try.
One of his first cartoons for the ''Daily Iowan'' depicted
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
, the 31st President of the United States. Conrad was soon creating six cartoons a week.
Impressed with Conrad's cartoons, his professors sent the ''Denver Post'' copies of his work.
[McFadden, R. D. (2010, September 4)]
Paul Conrad, Cartoonist, Dies at 86
''The New York Times''. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
''Denver Post''
After graduating from the University of Iowa with a degree in art in 1950, Conrad joined the ''
Denver Post
''The Denver Post'' is a daily newspaper and website published in Denver, Colorado. As of June 2022, it has an average print circulation of 57,265. In 2016, its website received roughly six million monthly unique visitors generating more than 13 ...
'', where he drew cartoons for the next 14 years. Early in his career, Conrad sought out the then retired Ding Darling in Florida for advice, and showed him copies of his work from the ''Daily Iowan''. Unimpressed, Ding told Conrad to "get into another line of work". This discouragement from his childhood role model pushed Conrad to work harder at the ''Post''.
At the newspaper he received support and encouragement from his editor, Palmer Hoyt, although he occasionally ran into trouble,
especially when he attracted attention for creating critical, unflattering cartoons of
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
, the 34th President of the United States.
[Times Political Cartoonist Paul Conrad to Retire](_blank)
(1993, January 25). ''Los Angeles Times''. Retrieved November 8, 2013. In 1960, ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine recognized Conrad's talent, saying that he was "probably the nation's hottest new cartooning property".
[One of the Few](_blank)
(1960, June 13). ''Time'', 75 (24): 54. Retrieved August 11, 2014. Conrad received the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning in 1964.
[Fischer, H. D. (2011). 1964 Award: About Attitudes and Hopes Toward Integration in 1963. ''The Pulitzer Prize Archive: A History and Anthology of Award-winning Materials in Journalism, Letters, and Arts. Part E: Liberal Arts''. (Vol. 13: Editorial Cartoon Awards 1922–1997, pp. 165–168). De Gruyter Saur. .] His cartoons for the ''Post'' were distributed through the
Register and Tribune Syndicate
The Register and Tribune Syndicate was a Print syndication, syndication service based in Des Moines, Iowa, that operated from 1922 to 1986, when it was acquired by King Features to become the Cowles Syndicate affiliate. At its peak, the Register a ...
in 81 newspapers.
[Cartoonist Going West](_blank)
(1964, January 31). ''Time'', 83 (5): 42. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
Previously, in December 1963, lead cartoonist
Bruce Russell of the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' died of a heart attack. Russell had worked for the conservative paper since 1927. Publisher
Otis Chandler
Otis Chandler (November 23, 1927 – February 27, 2006) was the publisher of the ''Los Angeles Times'' between 1960 and 1980, leading a large expansion of the newspaper and its ambitions. He was the fourth and final member of the Chandler fami ...
, in an attempt to replace Russell and to improve the reputation of the ''Times'', recruited Paul Conrad with the help of editor
Nick Boddie Williams
Nick Boddie Williams (1906–1992), known as Nick B. Williams, was the editor of the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1958 to 1971. He was also a science-fiction writer.
Williams was born in Onancock, Virginia, and studied at the University of Texas, ...
.
[Halberstam, D. (2000). ''The Powers That Be''. University of Illinois Press. .] Conrad took the offer of an initial three-year contract and was later replaced at the ''Post'' in August 1964 by Australian cartoonist
Pat Oliphant
Patrick Bruce "Pat" Oliphant (born 24 July 1935) is an Australian-born American artist whose career spanned more than sixty years. His body of work as a whole focuses mostly on American and global politics, culture, and corruption; he is particu ...
from the ''
Adelaide Advertiser
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The demo ...
''.
[Down Under to Denver](_blank)
(1964, September 18). ''Time'', 84 (12), 86. Retrieved August 11, 2014. [Heitzmann, W. R. (1988, September)]
The Power of Political Cartoons in Teaching History
. DFOccasional Paper. National Council for History Education. p. 4. Retrieved August 11, 2014. Conrad also lectured at the
Denver Art Museum
The Denver Art Museum (DAM) is an art museum located in the Civic Center of Denver, Colorado. With encyclopedic collections of more than 70,000 diverse works from across the centuries and world, the DAM is one of the largest art museums between t ...
in 1964 under a sponsorship from the Cooke-Daniels Lecture Fund.
''Los Angeles Times''
Conrad moved his family to southern California, and for three decades, from 1964 to 1993, he worked as the chief
editorial cartoonist
An editorial cartoonist, also known as a political cartoonist, is an artist who draws editorial cartoons that contain some level of political or social commentary. Their cartoons are used to convey and question an aspect of daily news or curren ...
for the ''Los Angeles Times''. His cartoons were now syndicated to hundreds of newspapers worldwide. In April 1967, Conrad drew the cover for ''Time'' magazine in an issue about the potential candidates for the
1968 United States presidential election
The 1968 United States presidential election was the 46th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 5, 1968. The Republican nominee, former vice president Richard Nixon, defeated the Democratic nominee, incumbent vice presiden ...
. The cover art depicts the upcoming election as a horse race with the candidates as jockey's weighing-in. Caricatures of Lyndon B. Johnson, Bobby Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George Romney, Nelson Rockefeller, and Charles Percy grace the cover.
During the
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's continual ...
, Conrad drew numerous cartoons about Richard Nixon's downfall. One cartoon showed Nixon, during his last days as president, nailing himself to a cross. Conrad later described the cartoon as one of his all-time favorites.
[French, Y. (1999, October)]
Afflicting the Comfortable
''Library of Congress Information Bulletin'', 58(10). Retrieved November 8, 2013. In 1973, the Associated Press contacted Conrad to inform him that he had been added to
Nixon's Enemies List
"Nixon's Enemies List" is the informal name of what started as a list of President of the United States Richard Nixon's major political opponents compiled by Charles Colson, written by George T. Bell (assistant to Colson, White House Counsel, sp ...
. Unperturbed, Conrad considered his place on this list as a badge of honor, but members of the list were exposed to greater scrutiny by the government and subject to investigation. His tax returns were subsequently audited by the IRS several times, but no changes were made.
Conrad accepted an early retirement from the ''Times'' on April 1, 1993, but continued to draw four cartoons a week in syndication for the Los Angeles Times Syndicate. Editorial cartoonist
Michael Ramirez
Michael Patrick Ramirez (born May 11, 1961) is an American cartoonist for the ''Las Vegas Review-Journal''. His cartoons present mostly conservative viewpoints. He is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner.
Early life and education
Ramirez was born i ...
replaced Conrad at the ''Times'' with a conservative approach.
Sculptures
![Otis Chandler (Los Angeles Times)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Otis_Chandler_%28Los_Angeles_Times%29.jpg)
Conrad first became interested in sculpture in the mid-1970s. After working on a drawing of a crucifix depicting the Christian doctrine of the
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...
, he decided to use steel to create it. He spent time at the public library learning to make
welded sculpture
Welded sculpture (related to visual art and works of art) is an art form in which sculpture is made using welding techniques.
History
The Catalan artist Julio González is credited as one of the earliest developers of welded sculpture. Gonzál ...
and three months later emerged with a sculpture titled ''The Trinity'', which was installed at Marymount College.
[Conrad, Paul (Summer 1980)]
A Preface to the Sculpture
''Michigan Quarterly Review'', 19 (3): 339–340. Retrieved August 11, 2014. Although it was made from steel, Conrad gave ''The Trinity'' a
verde patina to give it the appearance of copper. The sculpture was restored in 2012.
After working with large sculpture, Conrad began creating small bronze sculptures of famous Americans, beginning with Richard Nixon.
[Martelle, Scott (April 8, 2006)]
Paul Conrad's work with bronze caricatures
''Los Angeles Times''. Retrieved August 16, 2014. Additional sculptures followed, including caricatures of Jerry Brown, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.
Six of these sculptures were featured in an exhibition at the
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California, Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Pa ...
in 1979.
[Bradner, Liesl (September 1, 2010)]
'I, Con: The Brilliant Work of Paul Conrad' on exhibit
''Los Angeles Times''. Retrieved August 16, 2014. In the 1980s, Conrad often donated smaller bronze sculptures for fundraisers.
[Jones, A. (2001, October 26)]
''National Catholic Reporter'', 38 (1): 12–13. Later sculptures included Golda Meir, Abraham Lincoln, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. Writer Grady Miller of the ''Canyon News'', who met and visited with Conrad at his home in the late 1990s, recalled that Conrad "was specially proud of his bronze sculptures, which could be taken as an illustration of both his artistic range and his political beliefs".
Conrad also created several other works of public art: ''Risen Christ'', an altar piece located at Saint John Fisher Catholic Church in
Rancho Palos Verdes, California
Rancho Palos Verdes (Spanish for "Green Sticks Ranch") is a coastal city located in Los Angeles County, California atop the bluffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, neighboring other cities in the Palos Verdes Hills, including Palos Verdes Estate ...
; ''Otis Chandler'', a bust of the publisher installed in the ''Los Angeles Times'' building; and ''
Chain Reaction
A chain reaction is a sequence of reactions where a reactive product or by-product causes additional reactions to take place. In a chain reaction, positive feedback leads to a self-amplifying chain of events.
Chain reactions are one way that syst ...
'', a peace monument in the shape of a mushroom cloud located in the Santa Monica Civic Center.
Awards
Conrad earned the
Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning
The Pulitzer Prize for Illustrated Reporting and Commentary is one of the fourteen Pulitzer Prizes that is annually awarded for journalism in the United States. It is the successor to the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning awarded from 1922 t ...
three times, once for his work at the ''Denver Post'' in 1964, and twice more for his work at the ''Los Angeles Times'', in 1971 and 1984. The Society of Professional Journalists/Sigma Delta Chi (SDX) honored him seven times with the Distinguished Service Awards for Editorial Cartooning, in 1962, 1968, 1970, 1980, 1981, 1987, and 1996. Conrad also won two Overseas Press Club awards (1981 and 1970) and received the
Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award
The Robert F. Kennedy Awards for Excellence in Journalism is a journalism award named after Robert F. Kennedy and awarded by the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. The annual awards are issued in several categories and were est ...
four times, in 1985, 1990, 1992, and 1993. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the
Association of American Editorial Cartoonists
The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC) is a professional association concerned with promoting the interests of staff, freelance and student editorial cartoonists in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With nearly 200 members, it ...
in 1998, and the Lifetime Public Service Award from the Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Institute of Public Affairs at
California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) is a public university in Los Angeles, California. It is part of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system. Cal State LA offers 142 bachelor's degrees, 122 master's degrees, ...
in 2000.
Controversies
As an editorial cartoonist who openly editorialized from a liberal point of view on the issues of the day, Conrad was involved in many publicized political and religious disputes over his cartoons.
[McDougal D. (2001). ''Privileged Son: Otis Chandler and the Rise And Fall of the L.A. Times Dynasty''. Da Capo Press. .] In one dispute, he
was sued unsuccessfully by the then-Mayor of Los Angeles,
Sam Yorty
Samuel William Yorty (October 1, 1909 – June 5, 1998) was an American radio host, attorney, and politician from Los Angeles, California. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the California State Assembly, ...
, over an editorial cartoon portraying Yorty as crazy for thinking he would become
Richard Nixon's Secretary of Defense.
In another, he angered conservatives when he compared them to white supremacist
Buford Furrow
On August 10, 1999, at around 10:50 a.m. PT, American white supremacist Buford O. Furrow Jr. walked into the lobby of the North Valley Jewish Community Center in Granada Hills and opened fire with an Uzi
sub machine gun, firing 70 bullet ...
in a cartoon.
[Goldberg, D. (1999). Faith-Based Compassion. ''Tikkun'', 14(6): November/December.] Conrad's cartoons often made fun of the
governorship of Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan was the 33rd governor of California for two terms, the first beginning in 1967 and the second in 1971. He left office in 1975, declining to run for a third term. Robert Finch, Edwin Reinecke and John L. Harmer served as lieutenant g ...
, leading his wife, Nancy Reagan, to phone publisher Otis Chandler and complain about how the cartoons were ruining her husband's breakfast. The calls were so frequent, Chandler had no choice but to stop taking them.
In another dispute, members of the Jewish community of Los Angeles took issue with Conrad's portrayal of the
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is one of the world's most enduring conflicts, beginning in the mid-20th century. Various attempts have been made to resolve the conflict as part of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, alongside other ef ...
.
[Bentsur, E. (2001). ''Making Peace: A First-hand Account of the Arab-Israeli Peace Process''. Greenwood Publishing Group. .]
In the late 1970s,
Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...
expressed his opinion against the
ordination of women
The ordination of women to ministerial or priestly office is an increasingly common practice among some contemporary major religious groups. It remains a controversial issue in certain Christian traditions and most denominations in which "ordina ...
, saying that priests must represent the image of Christ. This led Conrad to draw a cartoon of the pope holding a baby who resembled a miniature version of the pope in his image. Cardinal
Timothy Manning complained to Conrad, but Conrad defended his work, arguing that what the "human soul" has in common is far more important that its appearance in the form of a man or woman.
Conrad also criticized the Catholic church for not letting priests marry and for treating their nuns poorly.
"This is the type of church Christ had in mind?" he asked the ''National Catholic Reporter'' in 2001.
Personal life
Conrad was an imposing man with a powerful voice who was often seen smoking a pipe while working on his cartoons. James Rainey of the ''Los Angeles Times'' described Conrad as a "towering, practically invulnerable figure" standing at "6 feet 2,
ith
The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany.
Geography
Location
The Ith is immediatel ...
his large head framed by thick, black-rimmed glasses", his demeanor "loud and often profane in person".
The Library of Congress described him as "a tall Midwesterner with long hair swept straight back from his forehead
hodisplayed a trait that he said he often wished for in his subjects: the ability to laugh at oneself".
Conrad married Kay King, the ''Posts society editor, in 1953. As his wife, Kay became one of only two people (along with his editor at the ''Times'',
Edwin O. Guthman
Edwin O. Guthman (August 11, 1919 – August 31, 2008) was an American journalist and university professor. While at the ''Seattle Times'', he won the paper's first Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 1950. Guthman was third on Richard Nixon ...
) who could influence his work.
Although he was raised as a Republican and a Catholic, his views changed as he aged. By 1960, the media was comparing his point of view to an "
Adlai Stevenson Democrat".
Conrad voted for only one Republican in his life, Dwight D. Eisenhower, but said he later regretted it.
He remained a devout Catholic and his belief in
social justice
Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fu ...
informed his work.
[Multer-Wellin, B. (2006). ]
Paul Conrad: Drawing Fire
''. Documentary, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). According to Matt Schudel of ''The Washington Post'', "Conrad considered himself an unabashed political liberal, except for his long-held opposition to abortion. He changed his views in the 1980s, when he came to believe that it was a matter of private choice."
Death
Conrad died at home in Rancho Palos Verdes at the age of 86.
[Bennett, M. (2010, September 7)]
. ''The Daily Iowan''. Retrieved August 11, 2014. His funeral was held at Saint John Fisher Catholic Church in Rancho Palos Verdes on September 11, 2010, with eulogies delivered by journalist
Robert Scheer
Robert Scheer (born April 4, 1936) is an American left-wing journalist who has written for '' Ramparts'', the ''Los Angeles Times'', ''Playboy'', ''Hustler Magazine'', ''Truthdig'', Scheerpost' and other publications as well as having written man ...
and editorial cartoonist
Tony Auth
William Anthony Auth Jr. (May 7, 1942 – September 14, 2014) was an American editorial cartoonist and children's book illustrator. Auth is best known for his syndicated work originally drawn for ''The Philadelphia Inquirer,'' for whom he worked ...
. Conrad was survived by his wife, Kay King, two sons, two daughters, and one grandchild.
[Rainey, J. (2010, September 5)]
Paul Conrad dies at 86
''Los Angeles Times''. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
Legacy
Many publishers and journalists describe Conrad as one of the finest political cartoonists of the 20th century.
According to the Associated Press, "Southern California political junkies for decades would start their day either outraged or delighted at a Conrad drawing."
[Dalton, A. (2010, September 5)]
Pulitzer-winning cartoonist Paul Conrad dies at 86
Associated Press. ''Huffington Post''. Retrieved August 11, 2014. He was one of only several post-war cartoonists to have won a total of three Pulitzers for his work and he was the only cartoonist named on Nixon's Enemies List. From 1977–1978, Conrad held the Richard M. Nixon Chair at
Whittier College
Whittier College (Whittier Academy (1887–1901)) is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. It is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and, as of fall 2022, had approximately 1,300 (undergraduate and graduate) students. It was ...
, Nixon's ''alma mater''.
Conrad's editorial cartoons later appeared in exhibitions at the
USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
The USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism comprises a School of Communication and a School of Journalism at the University of Southern California (USC). Starting July 2017, the school’s Dean is Willow Bay, succeeding Ernest J. ...
.
He authored several books about his work and donated many of his original editorial cartoons to the Prints and Photographs Division of the
United States Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
.
His influence and legacy as an editorial cartoonist are explored in the documentary film ''Paul Conrad: Drawing Fire'' (2007). In honor of this legacy, the "Paul Conrad Scholarship" is annually awarded to journalism and mass communication students by the University of Iowa.
The
Huntington Library
The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, known as The Huntington, is a collections-based educational and research institution established by Henry E. Huntington (1850–1927) and Arabella Huntington (c.1851–1924) in San Mar ...
, which hosts the Conrad Collection papers, calls his body of work "a powerful record of key issues that have confronted
he United States
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
in the second half of the twentieth century".
Lampooning Injustice: Paul Conrad's Perspective on Civil Rights
. (2008). Teaching American History. Library Lesson Plans. The Huntington Library. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
Public sculptures
*''Trinity'' (Statue, Marymount California University)
*''Risen Christ'' (Altar piece, St. John Fisher Church, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA)
*''Otis Chandler'' (Bust, ''Los Angeles Times'' building)
*''Chain Reaction
A chain reaction is a sequence of reactions where a reactive product or by-product causes additional reactions to take place. In a chain reaction, positive feedback leads to a self-amplifying chain of events.
Chain reactions are one way that syst ...
'', (Monument, Santa Monica Civic Center)
Publications
*''When in the Course of Human Events'' (1973)
*''The King and Us'' (1974)
*''Pro and Conrad'' (1979)
*''Drawn and Quartered'' (1985)
*''CONartist'' (1993)
*''Drawing The Line'' (1999)
References
Further reading
*Auth, T. (2010, September 20). Paul Conrad. ''Time'', 176(12): 26.
*Buell, E. H., Maus, M. (1988)
Is the Pen Mightier than the Word? Editorial Cartoons and 1988 Presidential Nominating Politics
''PS: Political Science and Politics'', 21(4): 847–858.
*Freedman, Leonard. (Spring 2012)
''Social Research'', 79(1): 87–112.
*Hess, S., Northrop, S. (2010). ''American Political Cartoons: The Evolution of a National Identity, 1754–2010''. Transaction Publishers. .
*Petechuk, D. (2003). Conrad, Paul. In W. L. O'Neill & K. T. Jackson (Eds.), ''Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: The 1960s'' (Vol. 1, pp. 201–203). New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
*Rainey, J., & Noland, C. (2010, September 4)
''Los Angeles Times''. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
*Wallis, D. (2007). ''Killed Cartoons: Casualties From the War on Free Expression''. W. W. Norton & Company. .
External links
Finding aid for Papers Paul Conrad, 1950–2005
at the Huntington Library
at Syracuse University
''PAUL CONRAD: DRAWING FIRE''
site for Independent Lens
''Independent Lens'' is a weekly television series airing on PBS featuring documentary films made by independent filmmakers. Past seasons of ''Independent Lens'' were hosted by Angela Bassett, Don Cheadle, Susan Sarandon, Edie Falco, Terrence Ho ...
on PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
Pro and Conrad.com
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Conrad, Paul
1924 births
2010 deaths
American editorial cartoonists
Artists from Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning winners
University of Iowa alumni
The Denver Post people
Los Angeles Times people
Whittier College people
Catholics from Iowa
Sculptors from Iowa
United States Army personnel of World War II
United States Army soldiers
United States Army Corps of Engineers personnel