Allen Harold "Al" Neuharth (March 22, 1924 – April 19, 2013) was an American businessman, author, and columnist born in

Eureka, South Dakota Eureka is a city in western McPherson County, South Dakota, United States, that is near the North Dakota state line. The population was 813 at the 2020 census. History Eureka was laid out in 1887, and named "Eureka", a Greek exclamation meaning ...

. He was the founder of ''

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, Virgi ...

'',

The Freedom Forum The Freedom Forum is the creator of the Newseum in Washington, D.C., which it sold to Johns Hopkins University in 2019. It is a nonpartisan 501 (c)(3) foundation that advances First Amendment freedoms through initiatives that include the Power Shi ...

, and its

Newseum The Newseum was an American museum dedicated to news and journalism that promoted free expression and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, while tracing the evolution of communication. The purpose of the museum, funded by the ...

Early life

Al Neuharth was born in

, to a German-speaking family. Neuharth's parents were Daniel J. and Christina, who married on January 11, 1922. Daniel died when Al was two. Al needed to help his family survive the Great Depression. He worked on his grandfather's farm. As a youngster, he also delivered the ''

Minneapolis Tribune The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...

'' but he gave that up for a better paying job in the

meat industry The meat industry are the people and companies engaged in modern industrialized livestock agriculture for the production, packing, preservation and marketing of meat (in contrast to dairy products, wool, etc.). In economics, the meat industry is ...

, sweeping up in the meat plants and slaughtering animals. Neuharth graduated from Alpena High School in Alpena, South Dakota, where he worked for Allen Brigham, owner of the local newspaper, the ''Alpena Journal''. At the age of 19, Neuharth served in the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

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 opposing ...

. As a member of the 86th Infantry Division, Neuharth was deployed to France, Germany, and the Philippines.

Education

After the war, Neuharth attended the

University of South Dakota The University of South Dakota (USD) is a public research university in Vermillion, South Dakota. Established by the Dakota Territory legislature in 1862, 27 years before the establishment of the state of South Dakota, USD is the flagship uni ...

Vermillion Vermilion (sometimes vermillion) is a color, color family, and pigment most often made, since antiquity until the 19th century, from the powdered mineral cinnabar (a form of mercury sulfide, which is toxic) and its corresponding color. It is v ...

, where he edited the school newspaper, ''

The Volante The University of South Dakota (USD) is a public research university in Vermillion, South Dakota. Established by the Dakota Territory legislature in 1862, 27 years before the establishment of the state of South Dakota, USD is the flagship univ ...

''. He maintained an affiliation with the university and had an office in the Media & Journalism building, the Al Neuharth Media Center, until his death in 2013. Neuharth founded the Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholarship, which is awarded to graduating high school students who exemplify the qualities of a "free spirit" and aim to pursue a career in journalism.

News career

Neuharth and fellow USD alum Bill Porter founded ''SoDak Sports'', a weekly newspaper devoted to covering the sports scene in South Dakota. Despite its initial popularity, the weekly ''SoDak Sports'' went bankrupt in a year's time, losing Neuharth the $50,000 he had borrowed. After his failure, Neuharth went to the '' Miami Herald'', where he made his way up to assistant managing editor. In 1960, the Knight newspaper chain (later a part of Knight Ridder), which owned the ''Herald'', sent him to its ''

Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...

'', which was fighting an uphill battle with the ''

Detroit News ''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the ''Detroit Tribune'' on Februar ...

'', which Neuharth would later buy while at Gannett. After Neuharth decided that he could go no further in the Knight organization due to the Knight family's control, in 1963 he accepted Gannett head Paul Miller's offer to move to Gannett's headquarters in

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located in W ...

to run its paper there, the '' Democrat and Chronicle''. In 1966 he took charge of Gannett Florida. He started ''Today'' in

Cocoa, Florida Cocoa is a city in Brevard County, Florida. The population was 19,041 at the 2020 United States Census. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne– Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Etymology Several stories circulate amon ...

, which eventually became ''

Florida Today ''Florida Today'' is the major daily newspaper serving Brevard County, Florida. Al Neuharth of the Gannett corporation started the paper in 1966, and some of the things he did with this newspaper presaged what he would later do at USA Today. ...

''. The color schemes used in ''Florida Today'' became an inspiration for the initial format for ''

''. He then ran the boardroom under Miller, whom he eventually succeeded in 1973. He helped to build Gannett into the largest newspaper company in the United States. During his tenure, Gannett revenues expanded 1,450%. In 1979 Gannett owned 78 daily and 21 weekly newspapers, seven television and over a dozen radio stations, outdoor advertising plants, and the

Louis Harris Louis Harris (January 6, 1921 – December 17, 2016) was an American opinion polling entrepreneur, journalist, and author. He ran one of the best-known polling organizations of his time, Louis Harris and Associates, which conducted The Har ...

& Associates research firm. The reason Gannett purchased Harris was because the firm was doing extremely expensive research for Neuharth to determine the advisability of starting a new national newspaper.

''USA Today''

Neuharth founded ''USA Today'' in 1982,freedomforum.org: Neuharth donates papers to Library of Congress
/ref> which as of March 2013 was the third most widely read newspaper in the country. He won the

Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism The Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism is an annual award presented by Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The recipient is deemed to represent a leading figure in the journalism ...

in 1988, in recognition of his founding of the newspaper. Neuharth retired from Gannett on March 31, 1989, at the age of 65. After his retirement, Neuharth authored a weekly column entitled ''Plain Talk'' through August 2010.

Freedom Forum

Neuharth served as chairman of the board of the Gannett Foundation upon his retirement. The foundation was founded by Frank Gannett, founder of the newspaper chain. Neuharth took control of the foundation and removed the CEO and installed his own top executive. He then renamed the foundation the Freedom Forum. Neuharth served as the chairman of the

Freedom Forum The Freedom Forum is the creator of the Newseum in Washington, D.C., which it sold to Johns Hopkins University in 2019. It is a nonpartisan 501 (c)(3) foundation that advances First Amendment freedoms through initiatives that include the Power Sh ...

from 1991 until his death in 2013. Each year, the

gives out the Al Neuharth Award for Excellence in the Media. Past winners include

Walter Cronkite Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the ''CBS Evening News'' for 19 years (1962–1981). During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the mo ...

(1989),

Carl T. Rowan Carl Thomas Rowan (August 11, 1925 – September 23, 2000) was a prominent American journalist, author and government official who published columns syndicated across the U.S. and was at one point the highest ranking African American in the United ...

(1990),

Helen Thomas Helen Amelia Thomas (August 4, 1920 – July 20, 2013) was an American reporter and author, and a long serving member of the White House press corps. She covered the White House during the administrations of ten U.S. presidents—from th ...

(1991),

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(1992),

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(1993),

Charles Kuralt Charles Bishop Kuralt (September 10, 1934 – July 4, 1997) was an American television, newspaper and radio journalist and author. He is most widely known for his long career with CBS, first for his "On the Road" segments on '' The CBS Eveni ...

of CBS (1994), Albert R. Hunt and

Judy Woodruff Judy Carline Woodruff (born November 20, 1946) is an American broadcast journalist who has worked in network, cable, and public television news since 1976. She is the anchor and managing editor of ''PBS NewsHour''. Woodruff has covered every presi ...

(1995),

Robert MacNeil Robert Breckenridge Ware MacNeil, Order of Canada, OC (born January 19, 1931) is a Canadian-American journalist and writer. He is a retired television news anchor who partnered with Jim Lehrer to create ''The MacNeil/Lehrer Report'' in 1975. E ...

(1996),

Cokie Roberts Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne "Cokie" Roberts (née Boggs; December 27, 1943 – September 17, 2019) was an American journalist and author. Her career included decades as a political reporter and analyst for National Public Radio, PBS ...

(1997),

Tim Russert Timothy John Russert (May 7, 1950 – June 13, 2008) was an American television journalist and lawyer who appeared for more than 16 years as the longest-serving moderator of NBC's ''Meet the Press''. He was a senior vice president at NBC News, Wa ...

and

Louis Boccardi Louis D. Boccardi was President and Chief Executive Officer of The Associated Press (AP), the world's largest news organization, from 1985 until his retirement in 2003. Prior to assuming the presidency, he served one year as Executive Vice Preside ...

(1998),

John Seigenthaler 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 ...

(1999),

Jim Lehrer James Charles Lehrer (; May 19, 1934 – January 23, 2020) was an American journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and playwright. Lehrer was the executive editor and a news anchor for the ''PBS NewsHour'' on PBS and was known for his role as a de ...

(2001),

Tom Curley Thomas Curley (born July 6, 1948) is an American businessman and journalist who served as President of the Associated Press, the world's largest news organization. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from La Salle Universi ...

(2002),

Don Hewitt Donald Shepard Hewitt (December 14, 1922 – August 19, 2009) was an American television news producer and executive, best known for creating the CBS television news magazine ''60 Minutes'' in 1968, which at the time of his death was the longest- ...

of CBS (2004), Garrison Keillor (2005),

Bob Schieffer Bob Lloyd Schieffer (born February 25, 1937) is an American television journalist. He is known for his moderation of presidential debates, where he has been praised for his capability. Schieffer is one of the few journalists to have covered all f ...

of CBS (2006), John Quinn and Ken Paulson (2007), Charles Overby (2008),

Katie Couric Katherine Anne Couric ( ; born January 7, 1957) is an American journalist and presenter. She is founder of Katie Couric Media, a multimedia news and production company. She also publishes a daily newsletter, ''Wake Up Call''. From 2013 to 2017, ...

(2009),

Brian Lamb Brian Patrick Lamb (; born October 9, 1941) is an American journalist. He is the founder, executive chairman, and the now-retired CEO of C-SPAN, an American cable network that provides coverage of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Sen ...

of C-SPAN (2011) and Marilyn Hagerty of the Grand Forks Herald (2012).

Quotes

"We in the media could help he insurance situationif we put in proper perspective long range hurricane forecasts that often are exaggerated and play into insurers' hands." "The First Amendment guarantees a free press. We in the media must make sure it is a fair press."

Personal

Neuharth had two children from his first marriage on June 16, 1946, to Loretta F. Helgeland. He was divorced in 1973. He married his second wife, Florida State Senator

Lori Wilson Lori Wilson (February 15, 1937 – January 30, 2019) was an American lawyer and politician in the state of Florida. Wilson was born in Waynesville, North Carolina and came to Florida in 1960. She was part Cherokee. She attended Tennessee Tech U ...

, in 1973. Their marriage lasted seven years. He married Rachel Fornes, a

Cocoa Beach, Florida Cocoa Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,539 at the 2018 United States Census. It is part of the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The first non-native ...

chiropractor Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the spine. It has esoteric origins and is based on several pseudoscien ...

and they adopted six children. In 1975, Neuharth built a beachfront mansion in Cocoa Beach. It contained of living space, 11 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms. It was valued at several million dollars and was the largest in the city. It was sold after his death and was destroyed by fire in 2016. Neuharth died on Friday, April 19, 2013, at his home in Cocoa Beach, at the age of 89. Jack Marsh, president of the Al Neuharth Media Center and a close friend, confirmed that he died at his home. Marsh said that Neuharth fell earlier in the week and never quite recovered.

Awards and honors

* Bronze Star Medal *

Horatio Alger Award The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans is a nonprofit organization based in Alexandria, Virginia, that was founded in 1947 to honor the achievements of outstanding Americans who have succeeded in spite of adversity and to emphas ...

(1975) *First male from the newspaper industry to win

Association for Women in Communications The Association for Women in Communications (AWC) is an American professional organization for women in the communications industry. History Theta Sigma Phi The Association for Women in Communications began in 1909 as Theta Sigma Phi (), an ho ...

' highest award, the Headliner Award *Golden Plate Award of the

American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet ...

(1982) *

(1988)

Books

* ''BusCapade: Plain Talk Across the USA''. Washington, D.C.: USA Today Books, 1987, * ''Profiles of Power: How the Governors Run Our 50 States'', with Kenneth A. Paulson and Phil Pruitt. Washington, D.C.: USA Today Books, 1988, * ''Truly One Nation'', with Ken Paulson and

Dan Greaney Daniel Greaney is an American television writer. He has written for ''The Simpsons'' and ''The Office''. He was hired during ''The Simpsons'' seventh season after writing the first draft of the episode " King-Size Homer", but left after season e ...

. New York: USA Today Books: Doubleday, 1988, * ''Window on the World: Faces, Places, and Plain Talk from 32 Countries''. Washington, D.C.: USA Today Books, 1988, * ''Nearly One World'', with Jack Kelley and Juan J. Walte. New York: USA Today Books/Doubleday, 1989, * ''Confessions of an S.O.B.''. New York: Doubleday, 1989, * ''Free Spirit: How You Can Get the Most out of Life at Any Age...and How It Might Make You a Millionaire''. Arlington, Va.: Newseum Books, 2000,

References

* Neuharth, Al. ''Confessions of an S.O.B.'' Doubleday, 1989 * Vaughn, Stephen L. "Encyclopedia of American Journalism". Routledge, 2007, pp. 329–330.

External links

NAA Honors Allen H. Neuharth for Lifetime of Achievement
*
Al Neuharth Oral History Interview
by the

Samuel Proctor Oral History Program The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP) is the official oral history program at the University of Florida. With over 6,500 interviews and more than 150,000 pages of transcribed material, it is one of the premier oral history programs in ...

at the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neuharth, Al 1924 births 2013 deaths American male journalists American columnists United States Army personnel of World War II USA Today people American media executives United States Army soldiers People from Cocoa Beach, Florida People from Eureka, South Dakota People from Jerauld County, South Dakota American people of German descent Journalists from South Dakota American newspaper publishers (people)