William Boyd Dickinson
Encyclopedia
William Boyd Dickinson, Jr. (born May 18, 1908 Kansas City, Missouri
; died September 12, 1978, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
) was an American war correspondent for United Press International
during World War II
. He was born into a family with a tradition of writing and public service. His father, William B. Dickinson, Sr. was an attorney and his mother, Alice Hillman Dickinson in 1927 became the first woman elected to a school board in the state of Missouri. His uncle was the noted Pittsburgh physician and medical author Breese M. Dickinson and another uncle, Cedric Dickinson was a Canadian journalist.
in 1929. In 1930 he joined UPI in Kansas City. He was sent to London in 1940 to cover the blitz
and remained there as news editor until early 1944 when he was assigned to the Southwest Pacific. He reported from Australia, the Pacific Islands and Japan until 1946.
Dickinson was the first to report many wartime events and the only reporter to land on Leyte
from the same landing barge as Gen. Douglas MacArthur
. He flew with MacArthur from Okinawa to Tokyo to witness the surrender of Japan
aboard the in 1945.
From 1949, he was successively news editor, managing editor and executive editor of the Philadelphia Bulletin
until his retirement in 1973, by which time the newspaper had reached the then highest circulation in its history. Under his editorial management the newspaper won Pulitzer Prize
s in 1964 and 1965. Dickinson was well known for his opposition to attempts by courts to limit reporting of pretrial news. In 1963 he risked a contempt sentence and jail for refusing to divulge a reporter's news sources.
In 1972 Dickinson was part of the first group of American editors to enter China since the Communist takeover
in 1949, about which he wrote a book, "China Today". From 1975 to 1977 he served on the U.S. Privacy Protection Study Commission examining the threat to personal privacy from the increased use of computerized data processing.
In 1948 he married journalist and author Joan Younger. Dickinson had three brothers, including attorney and school board president Jacob Alan Dickinson
, attorney Martin Brownlow Dickinson and Army Lt. General Hillman Dickinson. His son is journalist and editor William B. Dickinson
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
; died September 12, 1978, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
) was an American war correspondent for United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was born into a family with a tradition of writing and public service. His father, William B. Dickinson, Sr. was an attorney and his mother, Alice Hillman Dickinson in 1927 became the first woman elected to a school board in the state of Missouri. His uncle was the noted Pittsburgh physician and medical author Breese M. Dickinson and another uncle, Cedric Dickinson was a Canadian journalist.
Biography
Dickinson began his journalistic career as a reporter at the Kansas City Star after graduation from the University of KansasUniversity of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
in 1929. In 1930 he joined UPI in Kansas City. He was sent to London in 1940 to cover the blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
and remained there as news editor until early 1944 when he was assigned to the Southwest Pacific. He reported from Australia, the Pacific Islands and Japan until 1946.
Dickinson was the first to report many wartime events and the only reporter to land on Leyte
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
from the same landing barge as Gen. Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
. He flew with MacArthur from Okinawa to Tokyo to witness the surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
aboard the in 1945.
From 1949, he was successively news editor, managing editor and executive editor of the Philadelphia Bulletin
Philadelphia Bulletin
For the 2004 resurrection of the Bulletin, see The Bulletin .The Philadelphia Bulletin was a daily evening newspaper published from 1847 to 1982 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the largest circulation newspaper in Philadelphia for 76 years and was once the largest evening newspaper in the...
until his retirement in 1973, by which time the newspaper had reached the then highest circulation in its history. Under his editorial management the newspaper won 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...
s in 1964 and 1965. Dickinson was well known for his opposition to attempts by courts to limit reporting of pretrial news. In 1963 he risked a contempt sentence and jail for refusing to divulge a reporter's news sources.
In 1972 Dickinson was part of the first group of American editors to enter China since the Communist takeover
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
in 1949, about which he wrote a book, "China Today". From 1975 to 1977 he served on the U.S. Privacy Protection Study Commission examining the threat to personal privacy from the increased use of computerized data processing.
In 1948 he married journalist and author Joan Younger. Dickinson had three brothers, including attorney and school board president Jacob Alan Dickinson
Jacob Alan Dickinson
Jacob Alan Dickinson was a Topeka, Kansas attorney and president of the Topeka Board of Education at the time of the Supreme Court desegregation decision in Brown v. Board of Education . Dickinson was a key supporter of elementary school integration which had begun locally before the Supreme...
, attorney Martin Brownlow Dickinson and Army Lt. General Hillman Dickinson. His son is journalist and editor William B. Dickinson
External links
- University of Wyoming - Guide to Journalism Resources
- http://examiner.net/stories/072002/fea_072002019.shtml
- http://www.iapm.org/biocentric.htm