Seymour Berkson (January 30, 1905 – January 5, 1959) was an American publisher.

Seymour Berkson
c. 1939
BornJanuary 30, 1905
Chicago, Illinois, US
DiedJanuary 5, 1959 (aged 53)
New York City, US
EducationUniversity of Chicago (BA)
OccupationPublisher
Spouses
Children2, including Bill Berkson

Biography

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Berkson was born to a Jewish family[1] in Chicago, Illinois, the son of immigrants who fled persecution in Russia.[2][3][4] His father worked as a tailor.[1] Berkson graduated from the University of Chicago with a B.A. in political science.[1] He started his career as reporter for the Chicago Herald-Examiner[5] and worked his way through the ranks eventually becoming general manager of the International News Service[2][3] where he worked at their news bureaus in Rome and Paris.[5] He returned to the United States and accepted a position as the publisher for the New York Journal-American in New York City.[2][3]

Berkson served as chairman of the newspaper committee for Brotherhood Week, the national observance sponsored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews.[2]

Personal life

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Berkson married twice; he had a daughter, Barbara Berkson Coady (d. 1996), with his first wife, journalist Jane Eads (1901–1992), whom he met at the Chicago Herald-Examiner.[1][5][6] In 1936, he married fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert (1903–2003); they had one son, poet Bill Berkson (1939–2016).[7][8] He died on January 5, 1959, in New York City.[2][3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Oral history interview with Bill Berkson, 2015 September 29-October 2". Smithsonian. September 29, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Seymour Berkson, Publisher of N.Y. Journal-American, Dies at 53". Jewish Telegraph Agency. January 6, 1959.
  3. ^ a b c d "Seymour Berkson Is Dead at 53; Publisher of Journal-American; Hearst Official, Ex-Head of I. N. S., Stricken on Coast -Newsman Since 1925". The New York Times. January 5, 1959.
  4. ^ Karp, Evan (June 10, 2015). "Jewish poets read Jewish poets". SF Gate. It was not until adolescence, and only because of a shared love for poetry, that Bill Berkson learned that his father's side of the family was Jewish.
  5. ^ a b c Heise, Kenan (May 22, 1992). "Reporter, Columnist Jane Eads, 91". The Chicago Tribune.
  6. ^ "Robert F. Coady, 73, died April 16, 2007 at the Kindred Hospital in Peabody, Mass. after a brief illness". The Portsmouth Herald. April 19, 2007. He was pre-deceased by his wife, Barbara (Berkson) Coady, who died in 1996.
  7. ^ Tiffany, John. "Eleanor Lambert believed in destiny". Council of Fashion Designers of America. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  8. ^ "Eleanor Lambert Obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 10 October 2003. Retrieved 20 November 2013.