MacDonald, Kenneth 1905-2004
MacDONALD, Kenneth 1905-2004
OBITUARY NOTICE—
See index for CA sketch: Born September 3, 1905, in Jefferson, IA; died August 26, 2004, in West Des Moines, IA. Editor, publisher, and author. MacDonald was best known for heading the Des Moines Register and the now-defunct Des Moines Tribune; during his tenure the Register was second only to the New York Times in Pulitzer Prizes won by its staff. A graduate of the University of Iowa, where he earned a B.A. in 1926, he joined the Register as a reporter, working his way up to executive editor by World War II. During the war, MacDonald served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific theater. He quickly returned to his newspaper when the war was over, becoming the Register's vice president in 1946, editor in 1953, and chief operating officer in 1960. After handing off his COO duties in 1970, he headed the papers as their director until 1986, though the Tribune closed its doors in 1982. Under MacDonald's leadership, the Register became one of the most respected newspapers in the country, with twelve of its journalists winning Pulitzer Prizes. In addition to his newspaper work, MacDonald wrote Drink Thy Wine with a Merry Heart (1983), with Tom Throckmorton.
OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:
PERIODICALS
Los Angeles Times, August 28, 2004, p. B19.
ONLINE
Des Moines Register,http://desmoinesregister.com/ (August 27, 2004).