Jack Nelson (journalist)
Encyclopedia
John Howard "Jack" Nelson (October 11, 1929 - October 21, 2009) was an American
Pulitzer Prize
-winning journalist praised for his coverage of the Watergate scandal
and described by New York Times Managing Editor Gene Roberts
as "one of the most effective reporters in the civil rights era."
, Nelson's father ran a fruit store during the Great Depression
. He moved with his family to Georgia and eventually to Biloxi, Mississippi
, where he graduated from Notre Dame High School in 1947.
in 1960.
bureau for 21 years after being named bureau chief in 1975. He led the paper's coverage at the time of the Watergate scandal
.
In 1970 Nelson wrote a story about how the Federal Bureau of Investigation
and police in Meridian, Mississippi
shot two Ku Klux Klan
members in a sting operation bankrolled by the local Jewish community. One of the Klan members, a woman, died in the ambush. The head of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover
, attempted unsuccessfully to kill the story, which would appear on Page One, by trying to smear Nelson, falsely, as an alcoholic
. Nelson played an important role in uncovering the truth about the Orangeburg Massacre
.
at his home in Bethesda, Maryland
on October 21, 2009, aged 80.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
-winning journalist praised for his coverage of the Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
and described by New York Times Managing Editor Gene Roberts
Gene Roberts
Gene Roberts may refer to:* Gene Roberts , American editor and professor of journalism* Gene Roberts , former NFL running back...
as "one of the most effective reporters in the civil rights era."
Youth
Born in Talladega, AlabamaTalladega, Alabama
Talladega is a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 15,143. The city is the county seat of Talladega County. Talladega is approximately 50 miles east of Birmingham, Alabama....
, Nelson's father ran a fruit store during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. He moved with his family to Georgia and eventually to Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the population as 44,054. Along with Gulfport, Biloxi is a county seat of Harrison County....
, where he graduated from Notre Dame High School in 1947.
Early career
After graduating from high school Nelson began his journalism career with the Biloxi Daily Herald. There he earned the nickname 'Scoop' for his aggressive reporting. He then worked for the U.S. Army writing press releases before taking a job with the Atlanta Journal Constitution in 1952. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Local ReportingPulitzer Prize for Local Reporting
The Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting is awarded to an example of "local reporting that illuminates significant issues or concerns." This Pulitzer Prize was first awarded in 1948. Like most Pulitzers the winner receives a $10,000 award.-History:...
in 1960.
Los Angeles Times
He joined the Los Angeles Times in 1965 and led its 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 for 21 years after being named bureau chief in 1975. He led the paper's coverage at the time of the Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
.
In 1970 Nelson wrote a story about how the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
and police in Meridian, Mississippi
Meridian, Mississippi
Meridian is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is the sixth largest city in the state and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area...
shot two Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
members in a sting operation bankrolled by the local Jewish community. One of the Klan members, a woman, died in the ambush. The head of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
, attempted unsuccessfully to kill the story, which would appear on Page One, by trying to smear Nelson, falsely, as an alcoholic
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
. Nelson played an important role in uncovering the truth about the Orangeburg Massacre
Orangeburg massacre
The Orangeburg massacre was an incident on February 8, 1968, in which nine South Carolina Highway Patrol officers in Orangeburg, South Carolina, fired into an aggravated but unarmed mob protesting local segregation at a bowling alley, hitting most of them in their backs. Three men were killed and...
.
Death
Jack Nelson died of pancreatic cancerPancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
at his home in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
on October 21, 2009, aged 80.