Howard Simons
Encyclopedia
Howard Simons was the managing editor of the Washington Post at the time of the Watergate scandal
, and later curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism
at Harvard University
.
According to his Washington Post obituary, Simons was a native of Albany, New York
, and received a BA
from Union College
in Schenectady in 1951 and a master's degree a year later from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
. After service in the Korean War, he became a science reporter in Washington for several news organizations, and joined The Post as a science writer in 1961. He became assistant managing editor in 1966 and managing editor in 1971.
According to a site on the Howard Simons Fellowship, "Simons received the first phone call in The Post newsroom with word of the Watergate break-in and pressed relentlessly on the paper's coverage of the story. He started at The Post as a science reporter but soon became an editor, nurturing talented young reporters such as Bob Woodward
and Carl Bernstein
." Simons is credited with dubbing their well-placed source "Deep Throat," in reference to the film of the same name
.
in 1984.
Simons authored Jewish Times: Voices of the American Jewish Experience, (Houghton-Mifflin, 1988), and Simons' List Book (1977). He edited two books with Joseph A. Califano, Jr.
, The Media and the Law and The Media and Business, and in 1986 wrote a spy novel with Haynes Johnson
called The Landing.
A well-known quotation attributed to Simons:
He stepped down from the Nieman position on May 25, 1989, on medical leave, and succumbed to pancreatic cancer
three weeks later, aged 60.
A scholarship named after him assists minority students aspiring in journalism (seehttp://www.journalism.umd.edu/financial/simons.html).
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 later curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism
Nieman Foundation for Journalism
The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University is the primary journalism institution at Harvard. It was founded in 1938 as the result of a $1 million bequest by Agnes Wahl Nieman, the widow of Lucius W. Nieman, founder of The Milwaukee Journal...
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...
.
According to his Washington Post obituary, Simons was a native of Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, and received a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Union College
Union College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
in Schenectady in 1951 and a master's degree a year later from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is one of Columbia's graduate and professional schools. It offers three degree programs: Master of Science in journalism , Master of Arts in journalism and a Ph.D. in communications...
. After service in the Korean War, he became a science reporter in Washington for several news organizations, and joined The Post as a science writer in 1961. He became assistant managing editor in 1966 and managing editor in 1971.
According to a site on the Howard Simons Fellowship, "Simons received the first phone call in The Post newsroom with word of the Watergate break-in and pressed relentlessly on the paper's coverage of the story. He started at The Post as a science reporter but soon became an editor, nurturing talented young reporters such as Bob Woodward
Bob Woodward
Robert Upshur Woodward is an American investigative journalist and non-fiction author. He has worked for The Washington Post since 1971 as a reporter, and is currently an associate editor of the Post....
and Carl Bernstein
Carl Bernstein
Carl Bernstein is an American investigative journalist who, at The Washington Post, teamed up with Bob Woodward; the two did the majority of the most important news reporting on the Watergate scandal. These scandals led to numerous government investigations, the indictment of a vast number of...
." Simons is credited with dubbing their well-placed source "Deep Throat," in reference to the film of the same name
Deep Throat (film)
Deep Throat is a 1972 American pornographic film written and directed by Gerard Damiano and produced by Louis Peraino and starring Linda Lovelace ....
.
- When the time came, it was managing editor Howard Simons--not Ben Bradlee or other ranking editors--who made the crucial early decisions that led to the Washington Post's extraordinary coverage of the Watergate scandal, especially the decision to allow the metropolitan staff, which did not normally report on national politics, to pursue the story.
- The Great Cover-Up by Barry SussmanBarry SussmanBarry Sussman is an American editor, author, and public opinion analyst who deals primarily with public policy issues.He was city news editor at The Washington Post at the time of the Watergate break-in and was detached to direct the coverage that led to the Post’s being awarded the Pulitzer prize...
, page 66.
After The Washington Post
Simons left The Post for a position as Curator at The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard universityHarvard 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...
in 1984.
Simons authored Jewish Times: Voices of the American Jewish Experience, (Houghton-Mifflin, 1988), and Simons' List Book (1977). He edited two books with Joseph A. Califano, Jr.
Joseph A. Califano, Jr.
Joseph Anthony Califano, Jr. is Founder and Chairman of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, an independent non-profit research center affiliated with Columbia University in New York City...
, The Media and the Law and The Media and Business, and in 1986 wrote a spy novel with Haynes Johnson
Haynes Johnson
Haynes Bonner Johnson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, best-selling author, and TV analyst. He has reported on most of the major news stories of the last half-century and is widely regarded as one of the nation's top political commentators.He began his newspaper career in 1956 as a reporter...
called The Landing.
A well-known quotation attributed to Simons:
- "People who are funny and smart and return phone calls get much better press than people who are just funny and smart."
He stepped down from the Nieman position on May 25, 1989, on medical leave, and succumbed to pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic 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...
three weeks later, aged 60.
A scholarship named after him assists minority students aspiring in journalism (seehttp://www.journalism.umd.edu/financial/simons.html).