Leon Daniel
Encyclopedia
Leon Daniel was a reporter, manager, and senior editor of United Press International (UPI). He is most well known for his reporting during the Vietnam War
and his coverage of the United States civil rights movement during the 1960s.
Daniel wrote one of his more notable pieces, published on June 12, 1977, on the escape from prison of James Earl Ray
, the assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr.
. He was awarded the Purple Heart
following shrapnel wounds to his ankle. After returning from service in the Korean War, Daniel attended the University of Tennessee
, and shortly after, began his career in journalism by joining the Knoxville Journal.
In 1956, Daniel became a reporter for United Press International in their Nashville office and was promoted to manager in their Knoxville branch in 1959. He later was promoted to report at UPI's southern headquarters in Atlanta in 1960.
and Mississippi
, among others. Daniel was responsible for coverage of the events related to desegregation occurring in the southern U.S., such as in the "The Battle of Ole Miss"
where riots broke out at the University of Mississippi in protest of the enrollment of the black student, James Meredith
. He also covered the Selma to Montgomery march led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1965 in protest of the recent, violent incident known as "Bloody Sunday". Daniel did cover civil rights-related events in Philadelphia, Mississippi
, however, where he reported on three missing (and later found, murdered) civil rights workers. He commented that the populace at the time was "a very dangerous town for any outsiders, not just civil rights workers."
One of Daniel's more notable pieces, published on June 12, 1977, reported the escape of James Earl Ray
, the assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr., from Tennessee's Brushy Mountain State Prison.
fell, being one of the few foreign correspondents to do so. When asked about why he chose to stay, he jokingly said, "I had to. The AP correspondent was there." He reported on the lack of military presence within South Vietnam during northern advances into the country, on major battles occurring within South Vietnam with joint U.S. forces, and the threat of invading Laos. He also reported directly to Vietnamese miltiary officials, such as General Le Minh Dao regarding the threat of North Vietnamese forces occupying Xuan Loc.
He is known for writing the UPI headline, "Saigon government surrenders," when the capital, Saigon, was occupied by Northern Vietnamese forces. He was known for taking part in UPI antics in Vietnam
as he was accused of stealing a statue in a Saigon bar, having been referred to local Vietnamese civilian police for the offense. He was expelled from Vietnam by the new Communist rulers, and was later expelled from Thailand
and declared persona non grata
for writing articles detrimental to the Thai government, possibly violating Thai military secrecy, although this was denied by both UPI and Daniel. UPI protested against the expulsion of Daniel from Vietnam, noting that "Daniel's accuracy and dedication to the journalistic profession is outstanding and we have every confidence in him as a representative of UPI."
, Daniel moved to Washington, D.C., to become UPI's national correspondent and later, the managing editor for international news. He retired in 1997, but continued to write op-ed pieces, such as one about preemptive U.S. invasion of Iraq
following the September 11 attacks.
, and was survived by his companion, daughter, and two grandchildren. Daniel was referred to as a "veteran correspondent" and "the gold standard" among wire service reporters by colleagues and "a tough competitor ... and also was the most amiable of men, endearing him to colleagues and soldiers alike," by one reporter from rival news organization, Associated Press
.
In 2006, the University of Maryland's
College of Journalism created the Judith Paterson/Leon Daniel Journalism Scholarship as a tribute to "long-time companion Leon Daniel, a legendary journalist and war correspondent of his era, and former United Press International Bureau Chief in London." Judith Paterson was Daniel's companion and has since retired from her position at the university as a journalism professor.
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and his coverage of the United States civil rights movement during the 1960s.
Daniel wrote one of his more notable pieces, published on June 12, 1977, on the escape from prison of James Earl Ray
James Earl Ray
James Earl Ray was an American criminal convicted of the assassination of civil rights and anti-war activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr....
, the assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Early career and UPI
At age 19, Daniel enlisted in the Marines and became a rifle squad leader during the Korean WarKorean 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 was awarded the Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
following shrapnel wounds to his ankle. After returning from service in the Korean War, Daniel attended the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, and shortly after, began his career in journalism by joining the Knoxville Journal.
In 1956, Daniel became a reporter for United Press International in their Nashville office and was promoted to manager in their Knoxville branch in 1959. He later was promoted to report at UPI's southern headquarters in Atlanta in 1960.
US civil rights movement
Daniel began reporting on the civil rights movement between 1960–1966 during his placement in UPI's headquarters in Atlanta. Colleagues noted that his coverage of the civil rights movements was "the story he considered the most important he ever reported." His coverage included stories from Florida, AlabamaAlabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
and Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, among others. Daniel was responsible for coverage of the events related to desegregation occurring in the southern U.S., such as in the "The Battle of Ole Miss"
Ole Miss riot of 1962
The Ole Miss riot 1962 was a riot fought between Southern segregationist civilians and federal and state forces as a result of the forced enrollment of black student James Meredith at the University of Mississippi at Oxford, Mississippi.On October 1, 1962, James H...
where riots broke out at the University of Mississippi in protest of the enrollment of the black student, James Meredith
James Meredith
James H. Meredith is an American civil rights movement figure, a writer, and a political adviser. In 1962, he was the first African American student admitted to the segregated University of Mississippi, an event that was a flashpoint in the American civil rights movement. Motivated by President...
. He also covered the Selma to Montgomery march led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1965 in protest of the recent, violent incident known as "Bloody Sunday". Daniel did cover civil rights-related events in Philadelphia, Mississippi
Philadelphia, Mississippi
Philadelphia is a city in and the county seat of Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 7,303 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, however, where he reported on three missing (and later found, murdered) civil rights workers. He commented that the populace at the time was "a very dangerous town for any outsiders, not just civil rights workers."
One of Daniel's more notable pieces, published on June 12, 1977, reported the escape of James Earl Ray
James Earl Ray
James Earl Ray was an American criminal convicted of the assassination of civil rights and anti-war activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr....
, the assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr., from Tennessee's Brushy Mountain State Prison.
Vietnam War
Daniel began reporting on the Vietnam War in 1966. He remained in Saigon as South VietnamSouth Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
fell, being one of the few foreign correspondents to do so. When asked about why he chose to stay, he jokingly said, "I had to. The AP correspondent was there." He reported on the lack of military presence within South Vietnam during northern advances into the country, on major battles occurring within South Vietnam with joint U.S. forces, and the threat of invading Laos. He also reported directly to Vietnamese miltiary officials, such as General Le Minh Dao regarding the threat of North Vietnamese forces occupying Xuan Loc.
He is known for writing the UPI headline, "Saigon government surrenders," when the capital, Saigon, was occupied by Northern Vietnamese forces. He was known for taking part in UPI antics in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
as he was accused of stealing a statue in a Saigon bar, having been referred to local Vietnamese civilian police for the offense. He was expelled from Vietnam by the new Communist rulers, and was later expelled from Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and declared persona non grata
Persona non grata
Persona non grata , literally meaning "an unwelcome person", is a legal term used in diplomacy that indicates a proscription against a person entering the country...
for writing articles detrimental to the Thai government, possibly violating Thai military secrecy, although this was denied by both UPI and Daniel. UPI protested against the expulsion of Daniel from Vietnam, noting that "Daniel's accuracy and dedication to the journalistic profession is outstanding and we have every confidence in him as a representative of UPI."
Later career
In 1980, after extensive press work in the U.S., Vietnam, and the Dominican RepublicDominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Daniel moved to Washington, D.C., to become UPI's national correspondent and later, the managing editor for international news. He retired in 1997, but continued to write op-ed pieces, such as one about preemptive U.S. invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
following the September 11 attacks.
Death and legacy
Daniel died from complications of angioplastyAngioplasty
Angioplasty is the technique of mechanically widening a narrowed or obstructed blood vessel, the latter typically being a result of atherosclerosis. An empty and collapsed balloon on a guide wire, known as a balloon catheter, is passed into the narrowed locations and then inflated to a fixed size...
, and was survived by his companion, daughter, and two grandchildren. Daniel was referred to as a "veteran correspondent" and "the gold standard" among wire service reporters by colleagues and "a tough competitor ... and also was the most amiable of men, endearing him to colleagues and soldiers alike," by one reporter from rival news organization, Associated Press
AP
A&P or AP or Ap or ap may refer to:-Education:* Advanced Placement, a program that offers college level courses at high schools across the United States and Canada* Ang Pamantasan, a Philippine university student publication...
.
In 2006, the University of Maryland's
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
College of Journalism created the Judith Paterson/Leon Daniel Journalism Scholarship as a tribute to "long-time companion Leon Daniel, a legendary journalist and war correspondent of his era, and former United Press International Bureau Chief in London." Judith Paterson was Daniel's companion and has since retired from her position at the university as a journalism professor.