Who was Ben Bradlee? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Benjamin Crowninshield Bradlee

Died At Age: 93

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Antoinette Pinchot, Jean Saltonstall, Sally Quinn

children: Ben Bradlee, Dominic Bradlee, Jr., Marina Bradlee, Quinn Bradlee

Editors Journalists

Died on: October 21, 2014

place of death: Washington, D.C.

City: Boston

U.S. State: Massachusetts

More Facts

education: 1945 - Harvard University, Dexter School, St. Mark's School,

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1

What impact did Ben Bradlee have on journalism?

Ben Bradlee had a significant impact on journalism as the executive editor of The Washington Post during the Watergate scandal. He helped lead the newspaper's investigative reporting that ultimately led to the resignation of President Nixon.
2

How did Ben Bradlee handle the Pentagon Papers controversy?

Ben Bradlee supported the publication of the Pentagon Papers in The Washington Post, despite legal threats from the government. This decision was a landmark moment for press freedom and the public's right to know.
3

What was Ben Bradlee's role in the publication of the Pentagon Papers?

Ben Bradlee played a key role in overseeing The Washington Post's coverage of the Pentagon Papers. He supported the decision to publish the classified documents, even in the face of intense political pressure.
4

How did Ben Bradlee transform The Washington Post during his tenure?

Ben Bradlee transformed The Washington Post into a powerhouse of investigative journalism during his tenure as executive editor. He elevated the newspaper's reputation and helped it become a leading source of news and analysis.
5

What was Ben Bradlee's approach to journalism ethics?

Ben Bradlee was known for his strong commitment to journalistic ethics, prioritizing accuracy, fairness, and holding those in power accountable. He believed in the importance of investigative reporting and the role of a free press in a democratic society.

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Childhood & Early Life

Benjamin Crowninshield Bradlee was born into the Boston Brahmin Crowninshield family on August 26, 1921, in Boston, Massachusetts, into a well-to-do family, dating back to three centuries in Massachusetts Bay Colony.

His father, Frederick Josiah Bradlee Jr., was a banker, while mother, Josephine de Gersdorff, was an awardee of the French Legion of Honor.

In 1929, the family’s smooth life was suddenly halted, when the stock market crashed, along with the family’s wealth. His father took to odd jobs during the Great Depression to financially support his family.

He began his early schooling at Dexter School, and later joined St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Massachusetts, where he experienced another life-changing tragedy.

In 1936, he was diagnosed with polio, which left his legs paralyzed for a short period, but he fought back and developed strong arms, legs and chest, with regular exercise.

In 1939, he joined Harvard College, continuing the lineage of his 51 relatives, where he majored in Greek and English, and joined the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program.

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Career

He graduated in 1942 and joined the Office of Naval Intelligence, where he worked as a communications officer for three years on the destroyer USS Philip during the World War II, taking care of classified and coded cables.

When the war ended in 1946, he forayed into journalism, launching the New H.ampshire Sunday News, working as a reporter.

He sold the paper to William Loeb III in 1948, and began working as a crime reporter in The Washington Post, which changed his and the newspaper’s life forever.

He found a friend in Philip Graham, an associate publisher, who helped him secure the job of an assistant press attaché in the American embassy, Paris, in 1951.

In 1952, he joined the US Information and Educational Exchange (USIE), where he broadcast the CIA-directed European propaganda, leading to the controversial spying and execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg in June 1953.

In 1954, he joined Newsweek as a foreign correspondent. His controversial interview of the secret anti-French Algerian guerilla fighters led to his expulsion from France. He returned to Washington and resumed work at Newsweek.

During 1959, he met the then-senator John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, which resulted in the two becoming good friends that lasted till Kennedy’s assassination in 1963.

He earned fame when Kennedy was elected president in 1961 and thus, became the bureau chief, after which he convinced Graham to buy Newsweek, thereby becoming a life-changing deal for both Newsweek and The Washington Post.

After working as a bureau chief for four years, he was promoted as a managing editor in 1965 and later executive editor in 1968, which he held till September 1991. Subsequently, he continued serving as the Vice-President.

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Major Works

In 1971, he and Katharine Graham, who headed the paper after her husband Philip Graham’s suicidal death, printed the Pentagon Papers, a secret study of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War, and won the case in the Supreme Court.

In June 1972, he supported two young journalists, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who covered the burglary at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate complex of the White House.

As a result of the investigations revealing his involvement to win a second presidential tenure, Richard Nixon was forced to step down and resign from the office in 1974, thus becoming the first president to do so in the US history.

Awards & Achievements

In 1973, The Washington Post received the Pulitzer Prize for public service, for the Watergate coverage. The newspaper, which had won four awards prior to his entry, went on to add 17 more during his term.

In 2006, he received the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Georgetown University, for his lectures on journalism.

The French government bestowed upon him the country’s highest award, the French Legion of Honor, in Paris, in 2007.

He was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama, in November 2013, for his exemplary contribution to journalism at The Post.

He authored two books on President Kennedy - ‘That Special Grace’ (1964) and ‘Conversations with Kennedy’ (1975).

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His memoirs ‘A Good Life: Newspapering and Other Adventures’ was released in 1995.

Personal Life & Legacy

He married his first wife, Jean Saltonstall, in 1942, when he was commissioned as a naval officer. The couple had a son - Benjamin C. Bradlee Jr. of Boston, who served as the deputy managing editor of The Boston Globe.

While working in France, he divorced his first wife and married Antoinette Pinchot Pittman in 1957. The couple gave birth to two children - Dominic Bradlee and Marina Murdock. He divorced Antoinette in 1975.

He developed a close relation with Sally Quinn, a young reporter 20 years his junior, recruited in The Post’s Style section. He divorced Antoinette in 1975 and married Sally three years later in 1878 and had a son - Quinn Bradlee.

His health started deteriorating in September 2014 and was hospitalized due to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. He breathed his last on October 21, 2014, at his home in Washington DC, aged 93.

His funeral was held on October 29 at Washington National Cathedral and was rested at the Oak Hill Cemetery, Washington D.C.

In 1976, the Watergate episode was replicated in the Oscar-winning film ‘All the President’s Men’, where Jason Robards played Bradlee.

Jeff Himmelman, an ex-reporter at The Post, penned his biography ‘Yours in Truth: A Personal Portrait of Ben Bradlee’, describing his personal life, exclusive interviews, relationships with colleagues and his 45-year influential career.

Facts About Ben Bradlee

Ben Bradlee was known for his love of sailing and often spent weekends sailing his boat, the "Restless," along the coast of New England.

He was a talented pianist and enjoyed playing jazz music in his free time.

Bradlee was a passionate collector of antique furniture and was known for his keen eye for unique pieces.

He had a great sense of humor and was known for his witty one-liners and quick comebacks in social settings.

Bradlee was a dedicated patron of the arts and supported numerous cultural institutions throughout his lifetime.

Ben Bradlee Biography

You wanted to know

What impact did Ben Bradlee have on journalism?

How did Ben Bradlee handle the Pentagon Papers controversy?

What was Ben Bradlee's role in the publication of the Pentagon Papers?

How did Ben Bradlee transform The Washington Post during his tenure?

What was Ben Bradlee's approach to journalism ethics?