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National Judges: Osborn Elliot

Osborn Elliot
Dean Emeritus, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Founding Chairman, Citizens Committee for New York City

When the American Society of Magazine Editors named Osborn Elliott to its Hall of Fame in 1996, the honor capped a 50-year career begun at the New York Journal of Commerce and extending through leading positions in journalism, academe, public office and civic action.

By 1949, Elliott was a contributing editor of Time. Six years later, he joined the arch-rival Newsweek as business editor. He became editor in 1961 and later served as editor-in-chief, president and chairman of the board. He retained his editorial responsibilities as chief executive of the company.

In 1976, after 21 years at Newsweek, Elliott resigned to join New York City’s Abraham Beame administration in the newly created post of deputy mayor for economic development. Three years later, he became dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, serving until 1986, when he joined the full-time faculty as Delacorte Professor.

Elliott is founding chairman of the non-profit Citizens Committee for New York City, and in 1992 organized a 250,000 person march on Washington to protest cuts in federal funding for cities. Elliott is a former member of the Board of Overseers at Harvard, a lifetime trustee of the Asia Society and former trustee of the New York Public Library and the American Museum of Natural History. He is the author of “Men at the Top” and “The World of Oz,” and edited “The Negro Revolution in America.”

In May 2003, the first Osborn Elliott Prize for Excellence in Asian Journalism was presented at the Asia Society’s annual dinner. The $10,000 annual prize is sponsored by the Asia Society to honor a journalist who has produced outstanding work about Asia.

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