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Adam Clymer

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Adam Clymer
Born(1937-04-27)April 27, 1937
New York City
DiedSeptember 10, 2018(2018-09-10) (aged 81)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
EducationHarvard College
University of Cape Town
OccupationJournalist
Years active1950s–2003
SpouseAnn Wood (Fessenden) (m.1961–2013)[1]
RelativesEleanor Clymer (mother)

Adam Clymer (April 27, 1937 – September 10, 2018) was an American journalist. He was a prolific political correspondent for The New York Times.

Career

Clymer worked for the New York Daily News for a short period.[2] Clymer worked for The New York Times from 1977 until July 2003, and served as its national political correspondent for the 1980 presidential election, and polling editor from 1983 to 1990.[3] As polling editor, Clymer collaborated with CBS News. He worked as political editor for George H. W. Bush's presidential campaign in 1988, and chief Washington correspondent from 1999 through 2003.[3]

Clymer covered the 2000 presidential campaign for the Times and wrote at least one article that was considered unfavorable by the campaign of George W. Bush. Clymer wrote an analysis of Cheney's tax returns, including his conclusion that he only gave 1% of his $20 million earnings to charity.[4]

Clymer may be best known for an incident on September 4, 2000, when Bush and running mate Dick Cheney appeared at a campaign event in Naperville, Illinois. While on stage before the event, Bush said to Cheney, "There's Adam Clymer, major-league asshole from the New York Times." Cheney responded, "Oh yeah, he is, big time." The remarks were picked up by a live microphone, causing a minor campaign controversy. Bush later publicly stated "I regret that a private comment I made to the vice presidential candidate made it through the public airways. I regret everybody heard what I said."[5]

In 1981, Clymer co-authored Reagan: The Man, the President with fellow New York Times journalists Hedrick Smith, Leonard Silk, Robert Lindsey, and Richard Burt. In 1999, he wrote Edward M. Kennedy: A Biography.

In 2004, Clymer became a visiting scholar at the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, where he served as Political Director for the National Annenberg Election Survey.[6]

Personal life

Born to a Unitarian family, the son of children's book author Eleanor Clymer (née Lowenton) and Kinsey Clymer, Clymer attended The Walden School in Manhattan and then Harvard College, receiving an A.B. in 1958. Clymer's journalism career began when he was in high school; he wrote for the school newspaper and collected sports scores for The New York Times. He did post-graduate work at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. In 1960, he joined The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, a job which he followed up with work at The Baltimore Sun and the New York Daily News.

Adam Clymer was married to Ann Clymer from 1961 until her death on February 10, 2013. They had one daughter, Jane Emily Clymer, who was killed at the age of 18 by a drunken driver in September 1985. The Clymers established a memorial scholarship at the University of Vermont in her name.[7] As of 2013, the scholarship had aided fifty women in attending the university.[2]

He died from pancreatic cancer on September 10, 2018 in Washington, D.C. at the age of 81.[1] He was survived by no immediate family.[2]

Awards

Books

  • Smith, Hedrick; Clymer, Adam; et al. (1981). Reagan the Man, the President. Pergamon Pr. ISBN 0-08-027916-3.
  • Clymer, Adam (1986). "The New York Times" Year in Review 1987. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-8129-1632-8.
  • Clymer, Adam (2000). Edward M. Kennedy: A Biography. Perennial (HarperCollins). ISBN 0-06-095787-5.
  • Clymer, Adam (2003). Journalism, Security and the Public Interest: Best practices for reporting in unpredictable times. Aspen Institute, Communications and Society Program. ISBN 0-89843-387-8.
  • Clymer, Adam (2008). Drawing the Line at the Big Ditch. University of Kansas Press. ISBN 0-7006-1582-2

References

  1. ^ a b Roberts, Sam (September 10, 2018). "Adam Clymer, Political Reporter, Editor and Pollster, Dies at 81". The New York Times. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Adam Clymer, veteran New York Times political reporter and editor, dies at 81, Harrison Smith closeHarrison SmithObituary (10 September 2018). "Adam Clymer, veteran New York Times political reporter and editor, dies at 81". Washington Post. Retrieved 24 March 2020. {{cite news}}: |last1= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ a b "Ask a Reporter: Adam Clymer". The New York Times. December 3, 2000.
  4. ^ Clymer, Adam (September 10, 2000) "Correspondence/My Media Moment; A Bush-League Aside Vaults An Onlooker Into the Campaign's Glare", The New York Times, The Week in Review, p.3 of 3. Retrieved 2012-01-11.
  5. ^ "Bush's disparaging remark about reporter picked up by microphone". The Independent. London. 2000-09-05. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
  6. ^ Bouchard, Sarah (February 17, 2005). "Adam Clymer Reporter waxes nostalgic". The Hill.
  7. ^ "Clymers Settle Lawsuit to Reduce Drunk Driving and Boost UVM Jane Emily Memorial Scholarship" (Press release). University of Vermont. 1992-05-21. Retrieved 2007-01-09.
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