Anthony Lewis
Encyclopedia
Anthony Lewis is a prominent liberal intellectual, writing for The New York Times
op-ed page and The New York Review of Books
, among other publications. He was previously a columnist for the Times (1969–2001). Before that he was London
bureau chief (1965–1972), Washington, D.C.
bureau (1955–64), and deskman (1948–1952) all for the Times. From 1952-55 he worked for the Democratic National Committee
and the Washington Daily News
.
His first Pulitzer Prize
was in 1955, during the period of McCarthyism
, for reporting on the U.S. government's loyalty program
; he reported specifically on the dismissal of Abraham Chasanow
, a US Navy employee who was not informed of the nature of the accusations against him, nor of his accusers. Lewis's articles led to the employee's reinstatement. This story was fictionalized in the movie Three Brave Men starring Ernest Borgnine and Ray Milland. He won a second Pulitzer Prize in 1963 for his coverage of the United States Supreme Court
. He has frequently written on the Court and matters of constitutional law
.
Lewis has taught at Columbia University
's Graduate School of Journalism
since the mid-'70s, and has held the school's James Madison
chair in First Amendment
Issues since 1982. He lectured at Harvard
from 1974 to 1989 and has been a visiting lecturer at several other colleges and universities, including the Universities of Arizona, California, Illinois, and Oregon.
Anthony Lewis was born in New York City; he attended the Horace Mann School
in New York (where one of his classmates was Roy Cohn
) and Harvard College
, where he earned a A.B. in 1948. While at Harvard, he was an editor of the Harvard Crimson
. He is on the board of directors of the Committee to Protect Journalists
.
In 1983, Lewis received the Elijah Parish Lovejoy
Award as well as an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Colby College
. On January 8, 2001, he was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal
by President Clinton
. On October 21, 2008, Lewis was honored by the National Coalition Against Censorship
for his work in the area of First Amendment rights and free expression.
Noam Chomsky
has said that Anthony Lewis is at "the far left of the spectrum" that is available in the mainstream media
, and thus is useful in discovering the tacit assumptions that underlie all mainstream discussion. Henry Kissinger
reportedly once said that Anthony Lewis is "always wrong", which Lewis attributed to his own open dislike of Kissinger.
He is Jewish and married to retired Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall
of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, who was formerly the General Counsel and Vice-President(citation needed, inconsistent with other articles) at Harvard University
. He has three children from his first marriage, Eliza, David, and Mia, and seven grandchildren: Zoe, Miranda, Lily, Thea, Evie, Beatrice and Jack.
Lewis and his wife are longtime residents of Cambridge, Massachusetts
.
Reagan used “sectarian religiosity to sell a political program”…the “evil empire” speech was “primitive”…“a mirror image of crude Soviet rhetoric”… “What is the world to think when the greatest of powers is led by a man who applies to the most difficult human problem a simplistic theology?”
-March 10, 1983
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
op-ed page and The New York Review of Books
The New York Review of Books
The New York Review of Books is a fortnightly magazine with articles on literature, culture and current affairs. Published in New York City, it takes as its point of departure that the discussion of important books is itself an indispensable literary activity...
, among other publications. He was previously a columnist for the Times (1969–2001). Before that he was London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
bureau chief (1965–1972), Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
bureau (1955–64), and deskman (1948–1952) all for the Times. From 1952-55 he worked for the Democratic National Committee
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and the Washington Daily News
Washington Daily News
The Washington Daily News is a daily newspaper serving Washington, North Carolina. It is the smallest daily newspaper to ever win a Pulitzer Prize gold medal....
.
His first Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
was in 1955, during the period of McCarthyism
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and characterized by...
, for reporting on the U.S. government's loyalty program
Loyalty program
Loyalty programs are structured marketing efforts that reward, and therefore encourage, loyal buying behavior — behavior which is potentially beneficial to the firm....
; he reported specifically on the dismissal of Abraham Chasanow
Abraham Chasanow
Abraham Chasanow was suspended from the U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office as a security risk in July 1953, during the period of McCarthyism in the United States, in part for activities related to the founding of the cooperative Greenbelt Veteran Housing Corporation at his home in Greenbelt, Maryland...
, a US Navy employee who was not informed of the nature of the accusations against him, nor of his accusers. Lewis's articles led to the employee's reinstatement. This story was fictionalized in the movie Three Brave Men starring Ernest Borgnine and Ray Milland. He won a second Pulitzer Prize in 1963 for his coverage of the United States Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
. He has frequently written on the Court and matters of constitutional law
Constitutional law
Constitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
.
Lewis has taught at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
's Graduate School of Journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
since the mid-'70s, and has held the school's James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
chair in First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
Issues since 1982. He lectured at Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
from 1974 to 1989 and has been a visiting lecturer at several other colleges and universities, including the Universities of Arizona, California, Illinois, and Oregon.
Anthony Lewis was born in New York City; he attended the Horace Mann School
Horace Mann School
Horace Mann School is an independent college preparatory school in New York City, New York, United States founded in 1887 known for its rigorous course of studies. Horace Mann is a member of the Ivy Preparatory School League, educating students from all across the New York tri-state area from...
in New York (where one of his classmates was Roy Cohn
Roy Cohn
Roy Marcus Cohn was an American attorney who became famous during Senator Joseph McCarthy's investigations into Communist activity in the United States during the Second Red Scare. Cohn gained special prominence during the Army–McCarthy hearings. He was also an important member of the U.S...
) and Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
, where he earned a A.B. in 1948. While at Harvard, he was an editor of the Harvard Crimson
The Harvard Crimson
The Harvard Crimson, the daily student newspaper of Harvard University, was founded in 1873. It is the only daily newspaper in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is run entirely by Harvard College undergraduates...
. He is on the board of directors of the Committee to Protect Journalists
Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent nonprofit organisation based in New York City that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.-History:A group of U.S...
.
In 1983, Lewis received the Elijah Parish Lovejoy
Elijah P. Lovejoy
Elijah Parish Lovejoy was an American Presbyterian minister, journalist, newspaper editor and abolitionist. He was murdered by an opposition mob in Alton, Illinois during their attack on his warehouse to destroy his press and abolitionist materials.Lovejoy's father was a Congregational minister...
Award as well as an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Colby College
Colby College
Colby College is a private liberal arts college located on Mayflower Hill in Waterville, Maine. Founded in 1813, it is the 12th-oldest independent liberal arts college in the United States...
. On January 8, 2001, he was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal
Presidential Citizens Medal
The Presidential Citizens Medal is the second highest civilian award in the United States, second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is awarded by the President of the United States, and may be given posthumously....
by President Clinton
William Clinton
Bill Clinton is the 42nd President of the United States. William Clinton may also refer to:*William de Clinton, 1st Earl of Huntingdon , English nobleman from prominent Norman family dating to William the Conqueror; Lord High Admiral as of 1333*William Henry Clinton , British general from...
. On October 21, 2008, Lewis was honored by the National Coalition Against Censorship
National Coalition Against Censorship
The National Coalition Against Censorship , founded in 1974, is an alliance of 50 national non-profit organizations, including literary, artistic, religious, educational, professional, labor, and civil liberties groups...
for his work in the area of First Amendment rights and free expression.
Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
has said that Anthony Lewis is at "the far left of the spectrum" that is available in the mainstream media
Mainstream media
Mainstream media are those media disseminated via the largest distribution channels, which therefore represent what the majority of media consumers are likely to encounter...
, and thus is useful in discovering the tacit assumptions that underlie all mainstream discussion. Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
reportedly once said that Anthony Lewis is "always wrong", which Lewis attributed to his own open dislike of Kissinger.
He is Jewish and married to retired Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall
Margaret H. Marshall
Margaret Hilary Marshall was the 24th Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and the first female to hold that position. She was Chief Justice from 1999 to 2010. On July 21, 2010, she announced her retirement....
of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, who was formerly the General Counsel and Vice-President(citation needed, inconsistent with other articles) at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He has three children from his first marriage, Eliza, David, and Mia, and seven grandchildren: Zoe, Miranda, Lily, Thea, Evie, Beatrice and Jack.
Lewis and his wife are longtime residents of Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
.
Quotations
"What future possibility could be more terrible than the reality of what is happening to Cambodia now?" -March 17, 1975Reagan used “sectarian religiosity to sell a political program”…the “evil empire” speech was “primitive”…“a mirror image of crude Soviet rhetoric”… “What is the world to think when the greatest of powers is led by a man who applies to the most difficult human problem a simplistic theology?”
-March 10, 1983
Sole or primary author
- Gideon's TrumpetGideon's TrumpetGideon's Trumpet is a book by Anthony Lewis describing the story behind Gideon v. Wainwright, in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that criminal defendants have the right to an attorney even if they cannot afford it...
(Random House, 1964) - the story behind Gideon v. WainwrightGideon v. WainwrightGideon v. Wainwright, , is a landmark case in United States Supreme Court history. In the case, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that state courts are required under the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution to provide counsel in criminal cases for defendants who are unable to afford their own...
(Reprint ISBN 0-679-72312-9)- 1965 Edgar AwardEdgar AwardThe Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
for Best Fact Crime book - made into a film of the same name for the Hallmark Hall of FameHallmark Hall of FameHallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011...
- 1965 Edgar Award
- Portrait of a Decade: The Second American Revolution (Random House, 1964) (ISBN 0-394-44412-4)
- Make No Law: The Sullivan Case and the First Amendment ( Random House, 1991) The story behind New York Times v. Sullivan (ISBN 0-394-58774-X) (PB ed by Vintage)
- The Supreme Court and How It Works: The Story of the Gideon Case (Random House Children's Books, 1966) (ISBN 0-394-91861-4)
- Freedom for the Thought that we Hate: A Biography of the First Amendment (Basic Books, January 2008) (ISBN 0465039170)
Editor
- Written into History: Pulitzer Prize Reporting of the Twentieth Century from The New York Times (Holt, 2001) (ISBN 0-8050-6849-X)
Co-author or contributor
- In Time of War: Hitler's Terrorist Attack on America by Pierce O'Donnell and Anthony Lewis. (New Press, 2005) (ISBN 1-56584-958-2)
- Glory and Terror: The Growing Nuclear Danger by Steven WeinbergSteven WeinbergSteven Weinberg is an American theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics for his contributions with Abdus Salam and Sheldon Glashow to the unification of the weak force and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles....
; preface by Anthony Lewis (New York Review Books, 2004) (ISBN 1-59017-130-6) - The Other Israel: Voices of Refusal and Dissent by Tom SegevTom SegevTom Segev is an Israeli historian, author and journalist. He is associated with Israel's so-called New Historians, a group challenging many of the country's traditional narratives.-Early life:Segev was born in Jerusalem in 1945...
(Editor), Roane Carey (Editor), Jonathan Shainin (Introduction), and Anthony Lewis (Introduction) (New Press, 2004) (ISBN 1-56584-914-0) - The Torture Papers: The Road to Abu GhraibThe Torture PapersThe Torture Papers is the debut album from hip hop collective Army of the Pharaohs, released March 21, 2006 on Babygrande Records. The crew was established in 1998 by Jedi Mind Tricks rapper Vinnie Paz, and originally featured Paz, Chief Kamachi, Esoteric, Virtuoso and Bahamadia...
by Karen J. Greenberg (Editor), Joshua L. Dratel (Editor), and Anthony Lewis (Introduction) (Cambridge University Press, 2005) (ISBN 0-521-85324-9) - The Myth of the Imperial Judiciary: Why the Right Is Wrong About the Courts by Mark Kozlowski Foreword by Anthony Lewis. (New York University Press, 2003) (ISBN 0-8147-4775-2)
- Irreparable Harm: A Firsthand Account of How One Agent Took on the CIA in an Epic Battle Over Free Speech by Frank SneppFrank SneppFrank Warren Snepp is a journalist and former chief analyst of North Vietnamese strategy for the Central Intelligence Agency in Saigon during the Vietnam War. Five out of eight years in the CIA, he worked as interrogator, agent debriefer, and chief CIA strategy analyst in the US Embassy, Saigon...
and Anthony Lewis (University Press of Kansas, 2001) (ISBN 0-7006-1091-X) The story of CIA v. Snepp
Online articles by Lewis
- One Liberty at a Time (Mother Jones, May/June 2004)
- the Framers, the 1st Amendment and watchdog reporting
- "Heroic" News media?
- The Justices Take on the President
Sources
External links
- New York Review of Books
- Reporting Civil Rights
- Fairness.com profile
- Columbia faculty profile
- Nieman Watchdog profile
- John S Knight fellowship at Stanford
- Lewis discusses why the Supreme Court’s overturning of the decision in The New York Times v. Sullivan case—the focus of his 1992 Make No Law—was a blow to those in the south who wished to overlook the first amendment and silence the national press’ coverage of the Civil Rights Movement
- NYT bio
- Middle East Warp: The Pathology of Anthony Lewis 1992 article by Andrea LevinAndrea LevinAndrea Levin is director of the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America , a pro-Israel nonprofit, tax-exempt organization based in Boston...
highly critical of Lewis - links to various online articles mentioning Lewis
- Front list--books by Lewis
- Anthony Lewis discusses press issues with Ron Collins at Harvard University A transcript of that interview can be found here.
- Anthony Lewis: bibliography of articles, columns, scholarly works and books on the First Amendment