Philip Geyelin, won Pulitzer prize

January 11, 2004|Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Philip Geyelin, who is credited with turning The Washington Post editorial page against the Vietnam War, died Friday night at his home. He was 80.

His wife of 54 years, Sherry, said Mr. Geyelin had been suffering from flu-like symptoms in recent weeks, and that his doctor believes he had a heart attack when he died night.

Mr. Geyelin started his career with The Associated Press in the mid-40s and then spent 20 years with The Wall Street Journal before joining the Post in 1967 as deputy editor of the editorial page.

That same year, after editor Russ Wiggins left the paper, Mr. Geyelin took over the editorial page. Wiggins and Mr. Geyelin had engaged in heated discussions about Vietnam, which Wiggins supported.

Mr. Geyelin, a World War II veteran, was staunchly opposed to the Vietnam War. His wife says his stance stemmed from a trip he took to Vietnam in 1966, when he was still with the Journal.

Washington Post editorial page editor Fred Hiatt said yesterday that Mr. Geyelin was an important part of the newspaper's history. "He was a very sophisticated observer of foreign affairs," said Hiatt.

Mr. Geyelin won the Pulitzer in 1970 for his antiwar editorials.He left the Post in 1979 and was replaced by Meg Greenfield, a close friend of Graham's.