Al Neuharth

Al Neuharth was born in Eureka, South Dakota,{{cite book|last=Sirvaitis|first=Karen|title=South Dakota|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X1al2lXC6NYC&pg=PA68|date=1 September 2001|publisher=Lerner Publications|isbn=978-0-8225-4070-0|page=68}} to a German-speaking family.[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/al-neuharth-ebullient-newspaperman-who-founded-usa-today-8588877.html The Independent] 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.{{clarify|when he was TWO??!! He was 16 when the depression was OVER|date=November 2011}} As a youngster; he also delivered the Minneapolis Tribune but he gave that up for a better-paying job in the meat industry, 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 during World War II. As a member of the 86th Infantry Division, Neuharth was deployed to France, Germany, and the Philippines.

After the war, Neuharth attended the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, where he edited the school newspaper, The Volante. He maintained an affiliation with the university and had an office in the Media & Journalism building, the Al Neuharth Media Center, until he died in 2013. Neuharth founded the Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholarship, awarded to graduating high school students who exemplify the qualities of a "free spirit" and aim to pursue a career in journalism.{{cite web |url=https://colostudentmedia.com/scholarships/al-neuharth-free-spirit-and-journalism-conference/ |title=Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference |publisher=Colorado Student Media Association |accessdate=2024-01-02 }}

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 became 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, which was fighting an uphill battle with the Detroit News, 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 to run its paper there, the Democrat and Chronicle. In 1966, he took charge of Gannett Florida. He started Today in Cocoa, Florida, which eventually became Florida Today.[http://www.udel.edu/PR/UpDate/95/21/1.html Allen H. Neuharth to address Class of 1995 (02-23-95)]. Udel.edu (1995-02-23). Retrieved on 2011-08-10. The color schemes used in Florida Today became an inspiration for the initial format for USA Today. 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's revenues expanded by 1,450%. In 1979, Gannett owned 78 daily and 21 weekly newspapers, seven television stations, over a dozen radio stations, outdoor advertising plants, and the Louis Harris & Associates research firm. Gannett purchased Harris because the firm was doing costly research for Neuharth to determine the advisability of starting a new national newspaper.

Neuharth founded USA Today in 1982,{{Cite web |url=http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=18034 |title=freedomforum.org: Neuharth donates papers to Library of Congress |access-date=2007-06-04 |archive-date=2007-09-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927005440/http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=18034 |url-status=dead }} which as of March 2013 was the third most widely read newspaper in the country.{{cite web|url=http://abcas3.auditedmedia.com/ecirc/newstitlesearchus.asp |title=AAM: Total Circ for US Newspapers |publisher=Abcas3.auditedmedia.com |accessdate=2013-10-24 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130306175039/http://abcas3.auditedmedia.com/ecirc/newstitlesearchus.asp |archivedate=2013-03-06 }} He won the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism in 1988, in recognition of his founding of the newspaper.{{cite web|last1=Arizona State University|title=Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication|url=https://cronkite.asu.edu/about/walter-cronkite-and-asu/walter-cronkite-award|accessdate=November 23, 2016}} 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.[http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/30/not-on-his-watch-usa-today-founder-says/?scp=1&sq=%22Plain%20Talk%22%20Neuharth&st=cse Jeremy W. Peters, "Not on His Watch, USA Today Founder Says," The New York Times, August 30, 2010]

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, removed the CEO, and installed his own top executive. He then renamed the foundation the Freedom Forum. Neuharth was chairman of the Freedom Forum from 1991 until he died in 2013.

The Freedom Forum annually gives out the Al Neuharth Award for Excellence in the Media. Past winners include Walter Cronkite (1989), Carl T. Rowan (1990), Helen Thomas (1991), Tom Brokaw (1992), Larry King (1993), Charles Kuralt of CBS (1994), Albert R. Hunt and Judy Woodruff (1995), Robert MacNeil (1996), Cokie Roberts (1997), Tim Russert and Louis Boccardi (1998), John Seigenthaler (1999), Jim Lehrer (2001), Tom Curley (2002), Don Hewitt of CBS (2004), Garrison Keillor (2005), Bob Schieffer of CBS (2006), John Quinn and Ken Paulson (2007), Charles Overby (2008), Katie Couric (2009), Brian Lamb of C-SPAN (2011) and Marilyn Hagerty of the Grand Forks Herald (2012).[http://www.usd.edu/press/news/news.cfm?nid=1715 Katie Couric to receive Al Neuharth Award at USD on Oct. 8]. Usd.edu. Retrieved on 2011-08-10.

"We in the media could help [the insurance situation] if we put in proper perspective long range hurricane forecasts that often are exaggerated and play into insurers' hands."{{cite book |author = Neuharth, Al |title = Getting blown away |publisher = Florida Today |date = November 30, 2007}}

"The First Amendment guarantees a free press. We in the media must make sure it is a fair press."{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080412233632/http://freedomforumdiversity.org/ Freedom Forum Diversity Institute]}}. Freedomforumdiversity.org. Retrieved on 2011-08-10.

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,{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19740101&id=OXEsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dPoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5054,40090|title = Lakeland Ledger - Google News Archive Search}} in 1973.{{cite news| url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1989/10/23/72597/index.htm | work=CNN | title=WHY IT WORKS TO BE A JERK How did Al Neuharth become one of America's top CEOs? In his new book he cheerfully tells us: by being an absolute bastard | date=October 23, 1989}} Their marriage lasted seven years. He married Rachel Fornes, a Cocoa Beach, Florida, chiropractor, and they adopted six children.

In 1975, Neuharth built a beachfront mansion in Cocoa Beach. It contained {{convert|10000|sqft}} 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.{{Cite news | first=Jennifer | last=Sangalang | title=After the fire, city feels loss | url=http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2016/03/16/al-neuharth-pumpkin-center-cocoa-beach-fire/81864432/| newspaper=Florida Today | location=Melbourne, Florida| pages= 1A, 12A | date=March 17, 2016 | accessdate=March 17, 2016}}

Neuharth died on Friday, April 19, 2013, at his home[http://spacecoastdaily.com/2014/11/pumpkin-center-sold-asking-price-was-4-9-million/ Pumpkin Center Sold, Asking Price Was $4.9 Million] Space Coast Daily November 15, 2014 in Cocoa Beach, at the age of 89.{{cite web|title=USA TODAY founder Al Neuharth dies at 89|url=http://www.freep.com/article/20130419/NEWS07/304190167/usa-today-founder-al-neuharth-dies|publisher=USA Today|accessdate=19 April 2013}} 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/news/obituaries/2013/04/20/Obituary-Al-Neuharth-USA-Today-founder-who-changed-the-look-of-American-newspapers/stories/201304200139|title = Obituary: Al Neuharth / USA Today founder who changed the look of American newspapers}}

• Bronze Star Medal
• Horatio Alger Award (1975)
• First male from the newspaper industry to win Association for Women in Communications' highest award, the Headliner Award
• Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1982){{cite web|title= Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=American Academy of Achievement|url=https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/#business}}
• Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism (1988)

• BusCapade: Plain Talk Across the USA. Washington, D.C.: USA Today Books, 1987, {{ISBN|0944347002}}
• Profiles of Power: How the Governors Run Our 50 States, with Kenneth A. Paulson and Phil Pruitt. Washington, D.C.: USA Today Books, 1988, {{ISBN|0944347142}}
• Truly One Nation, with Ken Paulson and Dan Greaney. New York: USA Today Books: Doubleday, 1988, {{ISBN|0385261802}}
• Window on the World: Faces, Places, and Plain Talk from 32 Countries. Washington, D.C.: USA Today Books, 1988, {{ISBN|0944347169}}
• Nearly One World, with Jack Kelley and Juan J. Walte. New York: USA Today Books/Doubleday, 1989, {{ISBN|0385263872}}
• Confessions of an S.O.B.. New York: Doubleday, 1989, {{ISBN|038524942X}}
• 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, {{ISBN|0965509184}}

{{Reflist}}

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

{{Archival records|title=Allen Neuharth papers, 1949-2013|location= Library of Congress|description_URL= https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms018028}}

{{Portal|Biography}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070627114937/http://www.naa.org/global/presscenter/2004/allen-h.-neuharth-honored-by-naa-for-lifetime-of-achievement.aspx?lg=naaorg NAA Honors Allen H. Neuharth for Lifetime of Achievement]
• {{C-SPAN|1945}}
• [http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00005522/00001/pdf Al Neuharth Oral History Interview] by the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at the University of Florida

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neuharth, Al}}

Category:1924 births

Category:2013 deaths

Category:American male journalists

Category:American columnists

Category:United States Army personnel of World War II

Category:USA Today people

Category:American media executives

Category:United States Army soldiers

Category:People from Cocoa Beach, Florida

Category:People from Eureka, South Dakota

Category:American people of German descent

Category:People from Jerauld County, South Dakota

Category:Journalists from South Dakota

Category:American newspaper publishers (people)