John Seigenthaler, Editor, Journalist and First Amendment Advocate, Dies

John Seigenthaler, Editor, Journalist and First Amendment Advocate, Dies

The Tennessean reports that longtime editor, John Seigenthaler, has died at age 86.

Mr. Seigenthaler passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family.

"We celebrate his life — his devotion to social justice, his advocacy of human rights, and his enduring loyalty to friends and family," said his son, John Michael Seigenthaler. "He was proud of his hometown, Nashville, and grateful for the opportunity to share his energy and passion with this community."

As a reporter for The Tennessean, Mr. Seigenthaler once saved a suicidal man's life on a bridge over the Cumberland River — a bridge eventually named after him. As the newspaper's longtime editor, he led coverage of the civil rights movement when most Southern newspapers, including the rival Nashville Banner, ignored the growing resistance to racial segregation in the South.

Mr. Seigenthaler also exposed corruption in the Teamsters union, grave deficiencies in the state's mental health system and illicit activities of the Ku Klux Klan in Tennessee. And he inspired several generations of journalists to greatness.

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