372:(so called because it appeared "opposite the editorial page"; the belief that the phrase stands for "opinion"-"editorial" is incorrect) page on September 21, 1970, on which the op-ed page of other American newspapers is modeled. As he wrote in introducing the page, his basic motive was to provide a window on the ideas and opinions of non-journalists. The appearance of
226:), and as a result he served two years in Europe, capturing and "turning" enemy agents still in communication with the Nazis. In recognition of his service there he received the Bronze Star, the Croix de Guerre, the Medaille de Reconnaissance and the Order of the British Empire. He ended the war with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
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columnists on the new op-ed page (limited to one or two per day in the early years) reflected merely the need to create more space for "Letters to the Editor" on the editorial page—as he later wrote, "again in the interests of broadening the opportunity for expression of outside opinion in the
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244:. While an editorial page writer, in 1951 he convinced the paper's editors to let him write a monthly column on the then relatively neglected subject of the environment - the first such column at a major national newspaper. He also wrote for other areas of the paper, such as the
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His career on the editorial board, first as a writer (1949–1961) and then as editorial page editor (1961–1976) spanned the Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford administrations. As editorial page editor, he appointed the first woman in fifty years
305:, Sulzberger judged Oakes' response to be too emotional and divisive. Oakes eventually had to content himself with an unprecedented one-sentence dissent, which appeared as a "Letter to the Editor"—essentially a letter to himself—on the
313:, I must express disagreement with the endorsement in today's editorial columns of Mr. Moynihan over four other candidates in the New York State Democratic primary contest for the United States Senate." According to the
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On his retirement from the editorial page, he became a contributing columnist to the op-ed page, writing primarily on domestic politics, foreign affairs, human rights, civil liberties, and the environment.
345:. But his principal areas of concern were human rights and civil liberties, manifested by anti-McCarthyism and consistent support of the civil rights movement; strong and early criticism of the
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Oakes, John B (23 June 1940). "Congress Votes Relief, Arms
Billions And Recesses: 10,500 Millions Provided in Crisis; 'School's Out' Air Marks Final Hours Congress Recesses For Convention".
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today as a great newspaper and a liberal one, it’s largely an illusion, but Oakes believed in it and tried to make it true." Oakes died on April 5, 2001, in
Manhattan.
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for bringing to the editorial page "a brilliance, an intensity and a perceptiveness" that made it "the most vital and influential journalistic voice in
America."
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was credited with giving
Moynihan his one percent margin of victory." Shortly afterward, Sulzberger replaced Oakes as editorial page editor with
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Oakes, John B (24 November 1939). "John Dewey May
Testify in Dies Inquiry: Philosopher Asked to Appear at Hearings Which Reopen Monday".
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He was nothing if not persistent. After pushing the idea for ten years with a succession of publishers, he initiated the first modern
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in 1963, two years after Oakes' appointment to run the editorial page. Their most noteworthy confrontation occurred in 1976, when the
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had to decide who it would endorse as New York's junior senator in the upcoming
Democratic party primary. Sulzberger wanted
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In 1976, Oakes received the
National Audubon Society's highest honor, the Audubon Medal. He was elected to the
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The
Kingdom and the Power: Behind the Scenes at The New York Times: The Institution That Influences the World
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Oakes, John B (29 October 1940). "As 25,000 Cheer: G.O.P. 'Playing
Politics' With Defense, Roosevelt Says".
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In 1961, the year Oakes was appointed editor of the editorial page, Harper and
Brothers published his book
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and others; and advocacy of conservation and protection of natural resources. In 1966, he was awarded the
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editorial page on September 11, 1976, and which in its entirety read: "As Editor of the Editorial Page of
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and influential U.S. journalist known for his early commitment to the environment, civil rights, and
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The Edge of Freedom: A Report on Neutralism and New Forces in Sub-saharan Africa and Eastern Europe
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The John B. Oakes Award for Distinguished Environmental Journalism was established in 1994 by the
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one of the few papers to take such a stand and leading to personal attacks on him by President
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Immediately after his discharge in 1946, he joined the "family paper" as editor of the Sunday
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said on Oakes' death in 2002 that after his departure, "the editorials never recovered."
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in 1941, Oakes entered the Army as a private in the infantry. His training at
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September 2002 obituary in Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society
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733:, Michael J. Socolow, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 2010.
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463:"John B. Oakes, Impassioned Editorial Page Voice of The Times, Dies at 87"
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A Profitable Public Sphere: The Creation of the New York Times Op-Ed Page
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as an annual prize for print journalists; it is now administered by the
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Columbia University Oral History Research Offices, John B. Oakes papers
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725:, Susan E. Tifft and Alex S. Jones, Little, Brown and Company, 1999.
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The Trust: The Private and Powerful Family behind The New York Times
240:"Review of the Week." Three years later, he became a member of the
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Oakes was famously out of step with his more conservative cousin,
769:, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library.
568:"Oakes Appointed by Syracuse U. As Newhouse Visiting Professor"
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Two weeks before Oakes’ death in 2001 he was awarded a second
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John B. Oakes Award, Columbia University School of Journalism
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of his class and graduated magna cum laude. He then became a
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and Bertie Gans. He is regarded as the creator of the modern
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John B. Oakes papers at Wisconsin State Historical Society
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On his return to the United States in 1936, he joined the
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newspaper column and was subsequently widely reprinted.
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The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
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Wrote Hess, in his obituary, "If people think of the
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Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France)
393:John B. Oakes died on April 5, 2001, in Manhattan.
135:John Bertram Oakes was born on April 23, 1913, in
222:allowed him to be recruited into the O.S.S. (the
151:editorial page from 1961 to 1976. His uncle was
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744:Slate.com on Oakes' role in creating op-ed page
863:Members of the American Philosophical Society
532:"My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, March 10, 1954"
385:referred to the page as Oakes' "brainchild."
317:article on Oakes' death (May 1, 2001), "the
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586:"'New York Times' Op-Ed Page Turns 40"
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461:McFadden, Robert D. (April 6, 2001).
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858:Jewish American non-fiction writers
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762:article about death of Oakes
538:. 2010-05-19. Archived from
224:Office of Strategic Services
141:George Washington Ochs Oakes
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888:United States Army officers
873:Princeton University alumni
853:Jewish American journalists
272:), to the editorial board.
252:. His memorable profile of
169:(A.B., 1934), where he was
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868:The New York Times editors
808:20th-century American Jews
783:George Polk Award citation
657:Columbia Journalism School
833:American male journalists
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554:"Roger Wilkins biography"
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218:and connection to the
179:Queens College, Oxford
653:"John B. Oakes Award"
592:. September 21, 2010.
302:Without Fear or Favor
195:Franklin D. Roosevelt
161:. Oakes attended the
883:Sierra Club awardees
767:John B. Oakes papers
633:search.amphilsoc.org
629:"APS Member History"
167:Princeton University
139:, the second son of
86:Princeton University
690:. New York: Knopf.
517:The Washington Post
500:The Washington Post
483:The Washington Post
349:(1963), making the
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250:the Sunday magazine
204:The Washington Post
27:American journalist
572:The New York Times
467:The New York Times
297:Harrison Salisbury
117:John Bertram Oakes
34:John Bertram Oakes
697:978-0-394-48076-3
417:George Polk Award
363:George Polk Award
355:Lyndon B. Johnson
258:Eleanor Roosevelt
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293:Bella Abzug
246:book review
159:Adolph Ochs
108:Adolph Ochs
792:Categories
717:Gay Talese
663:2022-03-15
638:2022-05-10
614:2020-07-12
439:References
165:and later
157:publisher
131:Background
99:Journalist
96:Occupation
76:, New York
412:in 1986.
359:Dean Rusk
311:The Times
104:Relatives
74:Manhattan
684:(1974).
199:New Deal
608:Audubon
110:(uncle)
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185:Career
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