Herman Joseph Obermayer (September 19, 1924 – May 11, 2016) was an American journalist, publisher, and politician. He was the owner and publisher of the Long Branch, New Jersey Daily Record from 1957 to 1971 and the Northern Virginia Sun from 1963 to 1989, and counseled newspapers in emerging democracies for the U.S. State Department from 1990 to 2002 in Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, Moldavia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Russia, Croatia, and Serbia. In 1983 and 1984, he served as a judge for the Pulitzer Prizes.[1][2]
Herman Obermayer | |
|---|---|
| Born | Herman Joseph Obermayer September 19, 1924 |
| Died | May 11, 2016 (aged 91) Arlington, Virginia, U.S. |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Alma mater | Dartmouth College |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, publisher, politician |
| Spouse | Betty Nan Levy |
| Children | Elizabeth, Helen, Veronica, Adele |
Biography edit
Obermayer, a Philadelphia native, graduated from Central High School and cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1946 as an English major, studying under the poet Robert Frost. During World War II, he was a Staff Sergeant in Europe from 1943-1946. He attended the Nuremberg Trials.[3] He broke with the media that sought to avoid giving publicity to George Lincoln Rockwell from the American Nazi Party and thought they should be exposed, after the Hebrew Benevolent Congregation Temple bombing and threats against the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington.[4][5] He was an Eagle Scout and a member of the Executive Council of the Monmouth County (N.J.) Boy Scout Council from 1958 - 1971 and on the Executive Committee of the National Capital Council of the Boy Scouts of America from 1971 - 1979. He worked with the Jewish Policy Center and served on the National Board of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) beginning in 1996 and also with the National Council of the American Jewish Committee (AJC).
Awards edit
- Rhineland Campaign Star
Bibliography edit
- Soldiering for Freedom: A GIs Account of World War II, 2005;
- Rehnquist M: A Personal Portrait of the Distinguished Chief Justice of the US, 2009
- Jews in the News: British and American Newspaper Articles about Jews 1665 through 1800.
- American Nazi Party in Arlington, Virginia 1958 - 1984, 2012
Personal life edit
He was the brother of Arthur S. Obermayer. He was married to Betty Nan Levy, daughter of Neville Levy. They have four daughters, Helen Levy-Myers of Reston, VA, Veronica Atnipp of Houston, TX, Adele Malpass of New York City, NY and Elizabeth Weintraub of Rockville, MD; 11 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. Betty Obermayer died on January 26, 2013,[6] and Herman Obermayer died of a heart attack in Arlington, Virginia, on May 11, 2016.[7]
See also edit
External links edit
- "Herman Obermayer - Biography". Jewish Policy Center. Archived from the original on 2016-03-28.
- Charlie Clark (18 May 2016). "Our Man in Arlington". Falls Church News Press. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
- "HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 601". Virginia Legislative's information system.
References edit
- ^ Jacob Fenston (13 May 2016). "HERMAN OBERMAYER". Legacy.com. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
- ^ Harrison Smith (16 May 2016). "Herman Obermayer, Northern Virginia newspaper publisher, dies at 91". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
- ^ Ina Navazelskis (21 June 2010). "Oral history interview with Herman Obermayer". United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
- ^ Jacob Fenston (September 6, 2013). "Arlington's Uneasy Relationship With Nazi Party Founder". wamu. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
- ^ Charles S. Clark (September 2016). "Swastikas on Wilson". Arlington Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
- ^ Barnes, Bart (30 January 2013). "Betty Nan Obermayer, former president of Temple Rodef Shalom, dies at 81". Washington Post. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
- ^ McCaffrey, Scott (13 May 2016). "Former N.Va. Sun owner/editor Herman Obermayer dies". InsideNoVa. Retrieved 14 May 2016.