Don Whitehead
Encyclopedia
Don Whitehead was an American journalist
. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom. He won the 1950 George Polk Award for wire service reporting.
He was awarded the 1951 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting
, and 1952 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting
.
from 1926 to 1928.
He worked for newspapers in Lafollette Press and Harlan, Kentucky
, Daily Enterprise beginning in 1928. He covered the Harlan County War
.
His worked for the Associated Press
, beginning in 1935.
He covered World War II
.
He covered the Eighth Army
in Egypt, for the AP in September 1942.
He was transferred to the American Army in Algeria
.
He covered the Allied invasion of Sicily
at Gela
, with the First Infantry Division.
He covered the Allied invasion of Italy
at Salerno
, and the Italian campaign.
He landed at Anzio
in January 1944.
He went to London to prepare for the Allied invasion of France
.
He landed on Omaha Beach
on D-Day
, June 6, 1944, with the 16th Regiment
, of the First Infantry Division.
He covered the push from the beachhead, Operation Cobra
at Saint-Lô
, and the pursuit across France.
He got the first story on the Liberation of Paris
.
He covered the U.S. First Army
into Belgium and into Germany, the crossing of the Rhine River.
He covered the meeting of American and Russian troops
on the Elbe River.
He covered the Korean War
, in 1950.
He was Washington bureau chief for the New York Herald Tribune, in 1956.
He was a columnist for the Knoxville News-Sentinel. His book, The FBI Story
was adapted into a 1959 film.
His papers are held at the University of Tennessee
.
Posthumous
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom. He won the 1950 George Polk Award for wire service reporting.
He was awarded the 1951 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting
Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting
This Pulitzer Prize has been awarded since 1942 for a distinguished example of reporting on international affairs, including United Nations correspondence. In its first six years , it was called the Pulitzer Prize for Telegraphic Reporting - International...
, and 1952 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting
Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting
The Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting has been awarded since 1948 for a distinguished example of reporting on national affairs. The Pulitzer Committee issues an official citation explaining the reasons for the award....
.
Life
He studied at University of KentuckyUniversity of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
from 1926 to 1928.
He worked for newspapers in Lafollette Press and Harlan, Kentucky
Harlan, Kentucky
Harlan is a city in Harlan County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,081 at the 2000 census and was estimated at 1,880 in 2007. It is the county seat of Harlan County.-History:...
, Daily Enterprise beginning in 1928. He covered the Harlan County War
Harlan County War
The Harlan County War was a violent labor dispute between the United Mine Workers union and strikebreakers in Harlan County, Kentucky in 1932.-External links :* by Katie Rorrer...
.
His worked for the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, beginning in 1935.
He covered 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 covered the Eighth Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
in Egypt, for the AP in September 1942.
He was transferred to the American Army in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
.
He covered the Allied invasion of Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
at Gela
Gela
Gela is a town and comune in the province of Caltanissetta in the south of Sicily, Italy. The city is at about 84 kilometers distance from the city of Caltanissetta, on the Mediterranean Sea. The city has a larger population than the provincial capital, and ranks second in land area.Gela is an...
, with the First Infantry Division.
He covered the Allied invasion of Italy
Allied invasion of Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
at Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
, and the Italian campaign.
He landed at Anzio
Anzio
Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
in January 1944.
He went to London to prepare for the Allied invasion of France
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
.
He landed on Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
on D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, June 6, 1944, with the 16th Regiment
16th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 16th Infantry Regiment is a regiment in the United States Army.-Formation:The 34th Infantry Regiment and 11th Infantry Regiment consolidated into the 16th Infantry Regiment on 3 March 1869. The 11th Infantry's history prior to the consolidation is normally included with the 16th's.-U.S...
, of the First Infantry Division.
He covered the push from the beachhead, Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra was the codename for an offensive launched by the First United States Army seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Normandy Campaign of World War II...
at Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
, and the pursuit across France.
He got the first story on the Liberation of Paris
Liberation of Paris
The Liberation of Paris took place during World War II from 19 August 1944 until the surrender of the occupying German garrison on August 25th. It could be regarded by some as the last battle in the Battle for Normandy, though that really ended with the crushing of the Wehrmacht forces between the...
.
He covered the U.S. First Army
U.S. First Army
The First United States Army is a field army of the United States Army. It now serves a mobilization, readiness and training command.- Establishment and World War I :...
into Belgium and into Germany, the crossing of the Rhine River.
He covered the meeting of American and Russian troops
Elbe Day
Elbe Day, April 25, 1945, was the date Soviet and American troops met at the River Elbe, near Torgau in Germany, marking an important step toward the end of the World War II in Europe. The first contact was made between patrols near Strehla, when First Lieutenant Albert Kotzebue crossed the River...
on the Elbe River.
He covered 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...
, in 1950.
He was Washington bureau chief for the New York Herald Tribune, in 1956.
He was a columnist for the Knoxville News-Sentinel. His book, The FBI Story
The FBI Story
The FBI Story is a 1959 American drama film produced and directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay by Richard L. Breen and John Twist is based on a book by Don Whitehead.-Plot:...
was adapted into a 1959 film.
His papers are held at the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
.
Works
- The FBI story: a report to the people, Random House, 1956; Ishi Press International, 2011, ISBN 9784871873352
- Journey into crime, Random House, 1960
- Border guard: the story of the United States Customs Service, McGraw-Hill, 1963
- The Dow story: the history of the Dow Chemical Company, McGraw-Hill, 1968
- Attack on terror: the FBI against the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi, Funk & Wagnalls, 1970
- "A Correpondents View of D-Day", D-day: the Normandy invasion in retrospect, Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation, University Press of Kansas, 1971
Posthumous
External links
- http://www.ap.org/pages/about/pulitzer/white.html
- http://www.swvamuseum.org/donwhitehead.html