George Pitts (journalist)

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This article is about the journalist. For people with the same name, see George Pitts.

George E. Pitts
BornGeorge Edward Pitts
(1925-09-22)September 22, 1925
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedMay 14, 1987(1987-05-14) (aged 61)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting placeRock Creek Cemetery
Washington, D.C., U.S.
OccupationNewspaper journalist
Period1953–1965
SubjectEntertainment

George Eddie Pitts (né George Edward Pitts; September 22, 1925 Aliquippa, Pennsylvania – May 14, 1987 Washington, D.C.) was an influential newspaper entertainment journalist and editor – notably, from 1953 to 1964, for the Pittsburgh Courier, but later, for the Chicago Courier (managing editor), and the Chicago American (reporter).

Career[edit]

U.S. Armed Forces[edit]

In September 1943, at age 17, Pitts volunteered to train in the U.S. Army Aviation Cadet Corps in Pittsburgh.[1] He entered active service in the U.S. Army Air Corps November 20, 1943, at Keesler Field in Biloxi, Mississippi. Pitts joined the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and then competed for a Regular Army commission under the federal Thomason Act. He was honorably discharged March 8, 1946, at Fort Meade, Maryland.[2]

Journalism[edit]

George E. Pitts, Sr., was first a reporter, then entertainment columnist with the Pittsburgh Courier from 1953 to 1964. He was a civil rights advocate and wrote about abolishing segregation, notably in entertainment. As an entertainment editor, Pitts flourished as a prolific jazz columnist. Nat Hentoff, in the 1958 inaugural issue of Jazz Review, singled out Pitts, stating,

"Except for George Pitts in the Pittsburgh Courier, there is little of jazz interest in the Negro press. Once in a while, the Magazine Section of the weekly Afro-American in Baltimore has a feature of interest in fields like gospel singing (for example, the July 12, 1958, issue)."[3]

W. Beverly Carter, Jr. (1921–1982), publisher of the Pittsburgh Courier from 1955 to 1962, became publisher of the Chicago Courier in 1962. Pitts became managing editor of the Chicago Courier in 1964. Later, Pitts was a reporter for the Chicago American.

Civil service[edit]

In 1965, Pitts was appointed Regional Civil Rights Coordinator for the Great Lakes Region of the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity, headquartered in Chicago, as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty. The Great Lake Region included Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana.[4]

Death[edit]

George Eddie Pitts died May 14, 1987, in Washington, D.C., and was interred May 19, 1987, there, at Rock Creek Cemetery.[5]

Family[edit]

George E. Pitts was married to Phyllis F. Pitts (née Forbes; 1931–2008). They were the parents of the late photojournalist George Pitts, Jr. (1951–2017) and Michael Kevin Pitts. One of George's late brothers, Ernie Pitts (1925–1970), played football in the Canadian Football League. He also played intercollegiate baseball and football for the University of Denver.

Pittsburgh Courier, selected articles[edit]

General features, artist profiles, editorials, reviews
George E. Pitts:
Theatrical Roundup:
Rock 'n' Roll Department: "Bits About 'Em"
  • "Bob Harrison", Vol. 47, No. 46, November 17, 1956, p. 26
    Re: Elvis Presley's derivative style – quoting publisher Bob Harrison: "Negro associates taught him a lot about his present style of singing."
Around the Theatrical World:
George E. Pitts Sez ...
Survey
Magazine Section

References[edit]

  1. ^ "89 Volunteers Join Armed Forces Here – 68 Youths of 17 Enroll for Training As Aviation Cadets," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 3, 1943, p. 16 (accessible via Newspapers.com at www.newspapers.com/image/89547042)
  2. ^ Pennsylvania, Veteran Compensation Application Files, World War II, 1950–1966, for George Edward Pitts, Serial No. 13188000, June 12, 1950 (accessible via Ancestry.com)
  3. ^ "Jazz In Print," by Nat Hentoff The Jazz Review, Vol. 1, No. 1, November 1958, p. 49 (pps. 47–10); ISSN 0448-925X (accessible at jazzstudiesonline.org/files/jso/resources/pdf/JREVOne1.pdf
  4. ^ "Chicago Newspaperman Gets Antipoverty Job," Washington (AP), The Southern Illinoisan March 20, 1966, p. 14 (accessible via Newspapers.com at www.newspapers.com/image/86819745)
  5. ^ "Pitts, George E., Sr." (death notice), Pittsburgh Press, May 17, 1987, p. B8, col. 7 (accessible via Newspapers.com at www.newspapers.com/image/146162484)
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