Wilbert Tatum
Encyclopedia
Wilbert "Bill" Tatum was an American
newspaper executive who variously served as the editor, publisher, chairman and chief executive officer of the New York Amsterdam News, a weekly newspaper that serves the African American
community of New York City
.
, the 10th of 13 children, in 1933. He attended Durham's segregated schools, working during the summer in tobacco fields.
, the United States' first degree-granting historically black university
. During the Korean War
, he served in the United States Marine Corps
as a drill instructor
in Japan
from 1951 until 1954. After completing his military service, he attended Yale University
as a National Urban Fellow. Tatum was later awarded a master's degree from Occidental College
, where he majored in urban studies.
Tatum spent 13 years working as a mayoral appointee in the government of New York City, during the John Lindsay
and Abraham Beame
administrations. While director of community relations at the New York City Department of Buildings
, he spent a cold winter's night in 1967 in a Queens housing project that lacked heat, to publicize the circumstances of tenants there. He proposed a $6 billion "clothing stamp" program that would provide clothing for the poor nationwide while assisting the city's struggling garment industry
. Another proposal would have replaced the site of the former Madison Square Garden
with an indoor amusement park.
H. Carl McCall and Manhattan Borough President
Percy E. Sutton. By the mid-1980s, he had invested more than $400 thousand in the publication, most of it borrowed from banks against the value of his real estate holdings. Tatum acquired control of the paper in 1983 and became the paper's sole owner in 1996 after acquiring the stake of the last independent shareholder.
During his 25 years with the Amsterdam News his name was "nearly synonymous with the paper's", as described in a notice by The New York Times
announcing his death. Though circulation dropped from 58,907 in 1977 to 25,962 in 2000, the paper remained influential.
During the 1984 presidential election
, Tatum declined to endorse the candidacy of Jesse Jackson
or any of the other Democratic Party
candidates. Tatum approved stories that included a defense of Tawana Brawley after official findings found her 1987 sexual assault claims to be false and a decision to disclose the identity of the Central Park jogger
, the victim of a widely-publicized assault and rape case in 1989. While Ed Koch
was Mayor of New York City
, Tatum had editorials printed weekly on the paper's front page with the title "Why Koch Should Resign". The series of editorials ran from February 1986 to September 1989, with Tatum accusing Koch of leading an ineffective and corrupt municipal government that did not address the concerns of minority residents of the city. After Koch lost the mayoral primary in 1989 to David Dinkins
, Tatum announced that his last Koch editorial would read "On September 12 at 11:50 p.m., Edward I. Koch conceded defeat in the primary. December 31 will be his last day of work. End of series."
Tatum was credited by members of the city's Jewish community with improving the paper's balance in coverage of Jewish subjects. The associate executive director of the American Jewish Congress
recognized in 1984 that "Tatum has been very sympathetic and understanding of problems confronting both Jews and blacks". Mayor Koch had earlier called the paper an "an anti-Semitic rag" that had become "less rabid in its coverage than it was before", but held a July 1984 debate with Tatum on Jewish-black relations after Tatum published an editorial critical of the Mayor.
While most of the initial investors had left over time, John L. Edmonds had stayed on over the years, feuding with Tatum over the management of the paper and Tatum's use of funds. A suit filed by Edmonds ended in 1996 with a jury finding that Tatum owed Edmonds just over $1 million that it determined had been diverted from the paper's parent company, with Edmonds' attorney describing that Tatum had "used The Amsterdam News since 1982 as his own personal piggy bank".
Tatum stepped down in 1997 and named his daughter Elinor Tatum
, then 26-years-old and a graduate of New York University
's postgraduate journalism program, to serve as publisher and editor-in-chief of the paper. "I was in shock", she was quoted after the unexpected promotion. Tatum retained his position as chairman of the board after his daughter took over day-to-day operation of the paper, and he retained the position until his death.
Tatum wrote that Al Gore
had chosen Joseph Lieberman as his running mate in the United States presidential election, 2000
because Lieberman would be able to raise funds from fellow Jews, stating that "Gore and his minions did it for the money".
Asked by his daughter why he didn't pursue public office, he responded that he could help most in his role leading the oldest continuously-published African American newspaper.
. Their daughter, Elinor, was given the choice of following his religion and becoming a Baptist
or of following her mother's faith and preparing for her bat mitzvah.
in a 23-room triplex that he had bought in 1967 for $4,000 and had improved. Through the mid-1980s, he had made money in real estate, purchasing and renovating abandoned or neglected buildings that were reconstructed and repaired using unskilled ex-offenders and political refugee laborers.
In 1984, Tatum established an informal group of Jewish and African-American leaders that met to address issues regarding relations between the two communities. That same year, he was recognized by the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies for his efforts on behalf of runaway children in the Lower East Side
of Manhattan.
in Dubrovnik
, Croatia
, where he was traveling with his wife, Susan. A diabetic, Tatum was a wheelchair user at the time of his death. He was survived by his wife, daughter, a brother and three sisters.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
newspaper executive who variously served as the editor, publisher, chairman and chief executive officer of the New York Amsterdam News, a weekly newspaper that serves the African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
community of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Early years
Wilbert Arnold Tatum was born in a three room shack in Durham, North CarolinaDurham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
, the 10th of 13 children, in 1933. He attended Durham's segregated schools, working during the summer in tobacco fields.
Education/US Marine Corps
He majored in sociology at Lincoln UniversityLincoln University (Pennsylvania)
Lincoln University is the United States' first degree-granting historically black university. It is located near the town of Oxford in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The university also hosts a Center for Graduate Studies in the City of Philadelphia. Lincoln University provides...
, the United States' first degree-granting historically black university
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Historically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
. During the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, he served in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
as a drill instructor
Drill instructor
A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
from 1951 until 1954. After completing his military service, he attended Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
as a National Urban Fellow. Tatum was later awarded a master's degree from Occidental College
Occidental College
Occidental College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast...
, where he majored in urban studies.
Tatum spent 13 years working as a mayoral appointee in the government of New York City, during the John Lindsay
John Lindsay
John Vliet Lindsay was an American politician, lawyer and broadcaster who was a U.S. Congressman, Mayor of New York City, candidate for U.S...
and Abraham Beame
Abraham Beame
Abraham David "Abe" Beame was mayor of New York City from 1974 to 1977. As such, he presided over the city during the fiscal crisis of the mid-1970s, during which the city was almost forced to declare bankruptcy....
administrations. While director of community relations at the New York City Department of Buildings
New York City Department of Buildings
The New York City Department of Buildings is the branch of municipal government in New York City that enforces the City's building codes and zoning regulations, issues building permits, and inspects new and existing buildings.-History:...
, he spent a cold winter's night in 1967 in a Queens housing project that lacked heat, to publicize the circumstances of tenants there. He proposed a $6 billion "clothing stamp" program that would provide clothing for the poor nationwide while assisting the city's struggling garment industry
Garment District, Manhattan
The Garment District, also known as the Garment Center, the Fashion District, or the Fashion Center, is a neighborhood located in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The dense concentration of fashion-related uses give the neighborhood, which is generally considered to span between Fifth Avenue...
. Another proposal would have replaced the site of the former Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
with an indoor amusement park.
Amsterdam News
Tatum was part of a group that purchased the paper in the 1970s, the third ownership group in the history of the publication, which included notable investors such as former New York State ComptrollerNew York State Comptroller
The New York State Comptroller is a state cabinet officer of the U.S. state of New York. The duties of the comptroller include auditing government operations and operating the state's retirement system.-History:...
H. Carl McCall and Manhattan Borough President
Borough president
Borough President is an elective office in each of the five boroughs of New York City.-Reasons for establishment:...
Percy E. Sutton. By the mid-1980s, he had invested more than $400 thousand in the publication, most of it borrowed from banks against the value of his real estate holdings. Tatum acquired control of the paper in 1983 and became the paper's sole owner in 1996 after acquiring the stake of the last independent shareholder.
During his 25 years with the Amsterdam News his name was "nearly synonymous with the paper's", as described in a notice by The New York Times
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...
announcing his death. Though circulation dropped from 58,907 in 1977 to 25,962 in 2000, the paper remained influential.
During the 1984 presidential election
United States presidential election, 1984
The United States presidential election of 1984 was a contest between the incumbent President Ronald Reagan, the Republican candidate, and former Vice President Walter Mondale, the Democratic candidate. Reagan was helped by a strong economic recovery from the deep recession of 1981–1982...
, Tatum declined to endorse the candidacy of Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
or any of the other Democratic Party
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...
candidates. Tatum approved stories that included a defense of Tawana Brawley after official findings found her 1987 sexual assault claims to be false and a decision to disclose the identity of the Central Park jogger
Trisha Meili
The Central Park Jogger case involved an assault and rape that took place in New York City's Central Park on April 19, 1989. The victim was Trisha Meili. Five juvenile males were tried and convicted for the crime...
, the victim of a widely-publicized assault and rape case in 1989. While Ed Koch
Ed Koch
Edward Irving "Ed" Koch is an American lawyer, politician, and political commentator. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and three terms as mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989...
was Mayor of New York City
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
, Tatum had editorials printed weekly on the paper's front page with the title "Why Koch Should Resign". The series of editorials ran from February 1986 to September 1989, with Tatum accusing Koch of leading an ineffective and corrupt municipal government that did not address the concerns of minority residents of the city. After Koch lost the mayoral primary in 1989 to David Dinkins
David Dinkins
David Norman Dinkins is a former politician from New York City. He was the Mayor of New York City from 1990 through 1993; he was the first and is, to date, the only African American to hold that office.-Early life:...
, Tatum announced that his last Koch editorial would read "On September 12 at 11:50 p.m., Edward I. Koch conceded defeat in the primary. December 31 will be his last day of work. End of series."
Tatum was credited by members of the city's Jewish community with improving the paper's balance in coverage of Jewish subjects. The associate executive director of the American Jewish Congress
American Jewish Congress
The American Jewish Congress describes itself as an association of Jewish Americans organized to defend Jewish interests at home and abroad through public policy advocacy, using diplomacy, legislation, and the courts....
recognized in 1984 that "Tatum has been very sympathetic and understanding of problems confronting both Jews and blacks". Mayor Koch had earlier called the paper an "an anti-Semitic rag" that had become "less rabid in its coverage than it was before", but held a July 1984 debate with Tatum on Jewish-black relations after Tatum published an editorial critical of the Mayor.
While most of the initial investors had left over time, John L. Edmonds had stayed on over the years, feuding with Tatum over the management of the paper and Tatum's use of funds. A suit filed by Edmonds ended in 1996 with a jury finding that Tatum owed Edmonds just over $1 million that it determined had been diverted from the paper's parent company, with Edmonds' attorney describing that Tatum had "used The Amsterdam News since 1982 as his own personal piggy bank".
Tatum stepped down in 1997 and named his daughter Elinor Tatum
Elinor Tatum
Elinor Ruth Tatum is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of the New York Amsterdam News, the oldest and largest black newspaper in the City of New York, and one of the oldest ethnic papers in the Country....
, then 26-years-old and a graduate of New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
's postgraduate journalism program, to serve as publisher and editor-in-chief of the paper. "I was in shock", she was quoted after the unexpected promotion. Tatum retained his position as chairman of the board after his daughter took over day-to-day operation of the paper, and he retained the position until his death.
Tatum wrote that Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
had chosen Joseph Lieberman as his running mate in the United States presidential election, 2000
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
because Lieberman would be able to raise funds from fellow Jews, stating that "Gore and his minions did it for the money".
Asked by his daughter why he didn't pursue public office, he responded that he could help most in his role leading the oldest continuously-published African American newspaper.
Family
Tatum married Susan Kohn, a Jewish refugee from CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. Their daughter, Elinor, was given the choice of following his religion and becoming a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
or of following her mother's faith and preparing for her bat mitzvah.
Later years
As of 1984, he lived in the Manhattan's East VillageEast Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
in a 23-room triplex that he had bought in 1967 for $4,000 and had improved. Through the mid-1980s, he had made money in real estate, purchasing and renovating abandoned or neglected buildings that were reconstructed and repaired using unskilled ex-offenders and political refugee laborers.
In 1984, Tatum established an informal group of Jewish and African-American leaders that met to address issues regarding relations between the two communities. That same year, he was recognized by the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies for his efforts on behalf of runaway children in the Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
of Manhattan.
Death
Tatum died, aged 76, on 26 February 2009 from multiple organ failureMultiple organ dysfunction syndrome
Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome ', previously known as multiple organ failure or multisystem organ failure , is altered organ function in an acutely ill patient requiring medical intervention to achieve homeostasis...
in Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, where he was traveling with his wife, Susan. A diabetic, Tatum was a wheelchair user at the time of his death. He was survived by his wife, daughter, a brother and three sisters.