Joseph A. Loftus
Introduction
Joseph A. Loftus (1907–1990) was a 20th-Century American reporter for The New York Times who covered unions, like the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, extensively and later worked as a communications assistant to George P. Shultz at the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Background
Joseph A. Loftus was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and had three sisters. In 1928, he graduated from the University of Scranton with a bachelor's degree. While a student, he worked the Scranton Tribune and the International News Service. In 1931, he obtained a degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Career
Journalism
In 1936, Loftus moved to Washington, DC to work for the Associated Press as a journalist. Tackling politics, economics and labor for the Washington Bureau, he began working at The New York Times in 1944. His coverage included the downfall of Ware Group member of Progressive Party Lee Pressman in February 1948. He covered union news extensively, like the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. In 1954, he appeared as a talk show panelist on Longines Chronoscope. In 1969, he resigned from the paper.
Government
In 1969, Loftus became a communications specialist to Secretary of Labor George P. Shultz as part of the presidential administration of the newly elected Richard Nixon. Loftus moved with Shultz to the Treasury Department.
Awards
He was awarded the first Louis Stark scholarship as a Nieman Fellow to Harvard University in 1960.
Personal and death
Loftus married Mary and had two daughters. He moved to Sarasota, Florida in 1983.
On January 3, 1990, at age 82, he died at home after a series of strokes.