Ben Bradlee (1921-2014)

## Biography

**Benjamin Crowninshield "Ben" Bradlee** was born on 26 Aug 1921 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts to Frederick Josiah Bradlee (1892-1970) and Josephine de Gersdorff (1896-1975) and died on 21 Oct 2014 in Georgetown, Washington, DC, USA. His parents were were first cousins since they were both descendants Benjamin Williams Crowninshield (1772-1851), 5th United States Secretary of Navy; they were both descend from the Crowninshield Boston Brahmin family. He was an Ensign and Lieutenant on thirteen different destroyers in the South Pacific during World War II, and a journalist and Chief Executive Editor of the Washington Post during the Pentagon Papers and Watergate scandals. He graduated Harvard a year early in 1942 because of World War II.

### World War II

He was a Naval ROTC at Harvard and received his commission the same day he grated and married his first wife, Jean Saltonstall. He was assigned to the Office of Naval Intelligence and served as a communications officer in the Pacific mostly on the destroyer USS Phillip DD498. He arrived at Guadalcanal with the Second Trasport Group which was part of Task Group 62.4, commanded by Rear Admiral Norman Scott (1889-1942). Bradlee was in the naval battles of the Second Battle of Guadalcanal, Battle of Vella Lavell, Battle of Saipan, Battle of Tinian, and the Battle of Bougainville. He also fought in the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Philippines Campaign, Borneo Campaign and the Battle of Leyte Gulf; which was the largest naval battle ever fought by man kind in history. He was on a total of thirteen different ships during the war and he made ever landing in the Solomon Islands.

### Career in Journalism

In 1946 he was recruited by a classmate from Harvard after the war to work at the New Hampshire Sunday News; he worked there until it folded and went to work for The Washington Post after almost going to a job interview at The Baltimore Sun. On 1 Nov 1950 he was in a street car in front of the White House at the same time when two Puerto Rican nationalists tried to shoot their way into Blair House to attempt to kill President Harry S. Truman. In 1951 he became the assistant press attache at the American embassy in Paris. In 1954 he was the European correspondent for Newsweek Magazine and stayed there for four years. In the 1950s he became close friends with then Sen. John F. Kennedy, who became President of the United States and in the 1960's Bradlee toured with both Kennedy and Richard Nixon on their campaigns. In 1975 Bradlee later would author the book, Conversations with Kennedy and in the same year he became the Washington Bureau chief of Newsweek Magazine. He stayed with the magazine until he was promoted to Managing Editor of the Washington Post in 1965 and became Executive Editor in 1968. In 1971 he hired a team of lawyers, editors and writers to publish the Pentagon Papers. The Post and New York Times successfully challenged the government to publish the papers. In 1972 the break in at Watergate happened and he hired journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. He kept the secret of knowing who Deep Throat was for thirty years when he exposed his true identity as Mark Felt. Bradlee and the other two people who only his his identity were Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.

In 1981, Janet Cooke who was hired by the Washington Post write a false story on an African American 8-year-old boy named Jimmy who was a heroin addict. Bradlee order an investigation of the story, along with Post Publisher Donald Graham to ascertain the truth. Bradlee personally apologized to Mayor Marion Barry and the chief of police. The story won a Pulitzer Prize, but Bradlee returned the award. Bradlee held the position Executive Editor until 1991 when he retired, but held the title of Vice President-at-large until his death. Bradlee was replaced by Leonard Downie. Bradlee had won many Pulitzer Prizes for the Washington Post. In 1988 he received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement In 1991 he became the Commissioner of Historic St. Mary's City in St. Mary's County, Maryland and became a member of the board of trustees at St. Mary's College of Maryland. He started the Benjamin C. Bradlee Annual Lecture in Journalism at the school and eventually served as the Vice Chairman of the St. Mary's College's board of trustees. In 1991 he delivered the Theodore H. White lecture at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. In 1993 he had an acting role in Born Yesterday, the remake of a 1950 comedy. In the fall of 2005 he was interviewed by Jim Lehrer for six hours about the responsibilities of the press on Watergate to the Valeri Plame affair. This became an hour long documentary: Free Speech: Jim Lehrer and Ben Bradlee and premiered on PBS on 19 Jun 2006. On 3 May 2006 Bradlee received a Docotor of Human Letters from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and in 2007 the French Legion of Honor, the highest award given by the French Government at a ceremony in Paris. On 8 Aug 2013 he was named for the Presidentila Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama and presented the medal on 20 Nov 2013.

### Marriages

He married firstly on 8 Aug 1942 to Jean Saltonstall. She was born in 1921 to Lt. John Lee Saltonstall (1878-1959) and Gladys Durant Rice (1868-1984). The Saltonsall family were a Boston Brahmin family and Bradlee's first wife was a direct descendant of Sir Richard Saltonstall (bapt.1586-1661). He married secondly in 1957 to Antoinette Pinchot. She was born on 15 Jan 1924 in Manhattan, New York, USA to Amos Richards Eno Pinchot (1873-1944) and Ruth Pickering (1893-1984) and died in Washington, DC, USA. He married thirdly on 22 Oct 1978 in Washington, DC, USA to Sally Sterling Quinn. She was born on 1 Jul 1941 in Savannah Chatham County, Georgia, USA to Lt. Gen. William Wilson "Buffalo Bill" Quinn (1907-2000) and Sara-Bette Williams (1918-2004).

## Descendants

### From his first wife, Jean Saltonstall

1. Benjamin Crowninshield "Ben" Bradlee, Jr. (b1948)
	* m. 1stly to Martha Raddatz (1953)
	* m. 2ndly to Jan Saragoni

#### From his first wife, Martha Raddatz

1. Gretta Bradlee
	* m. Baily Williams

#### From his second wife, Jan Saragoni

1. Joseph Saragoni "Joe" Bradlee
2. Anna Baldini Saragoni Bradlee

### From his second wife, Antoinette Pinchot

1. Domonick "Dino" Bradlee
	* m. 1stly to Leslie Marshal
	* m. 2ndly to Trina Chambers
2. Marina Bradlee
	* m. Rick Murdoch

#### From his first wife, Lesli Marshal

1. Jo Bradlee
2. Marshal Bradlee
3. Beatrice "Bea" Bradlee
	* m. Zack

#### From his second wife, Trina Chambers

1. Frederick Bradlee (twins)
2. James Bradlee (twins)

### From his third wife, Sally Sterling Quinn

1. Josiah Quinn Crowninshield "Quinn" Bradlee (b1982)

## Paternal Lineage

1. Eochaid IX Feidlech MacFinn, 93rd High King of Ireland (-c.130 BC)
2. Prince Breas & Nar & Lothar of Ireland
3. Lewy "of the Red Circles," 98th High King of Ireland (-c.8 BC)
4. Cirffan "Niadh-Nar" MacLugaid, 100th High King of Ireand (-)
	* m. Princess Naira (Mar Tath Chabob) of the Picts (-)
5. Feredac "the True" MacCrimthainan Nia Nair, 102nd High King of Ireland (-c.36)
6. Fiache II Fionnalaidh MacFeredaid, 104th High King of Ireland (-c.56/1717)
7. Tuathal I Techtmar (-c.106), 106th High King of Ireland
8. Felim Rachtmar "the Lawgiver" MacTuathal, 108th High King of Ireland (-c.120)
9. Conn of the Hundred Battles, 110th High King of Ireland (-c.157)
10. Airt "the Solitary" Aoinfhear MacConn, 112th High King of Ireland (-195)
11. Corman Ulfhada "Longbeard," 115th High King of Ireland (-266)
12. Cairbre Lifiochair, 117th High King of Ireland (-284)
13. Fiachaidh V, Sraibhthine, King of Conaught & 120th High King of Ireland (-c.322)
14. Muireadeach II Tirech MacFiachach, 122nd High King of Ireland
15. Eochaid Mugmedon, 124th High King of Ireland (-365)
16. Nial of the Nine Hostages, 126th High Kine of Ireland (-bef.382)
17. Conail (Familia de Tir Connail) (bef.1850-)
18. Duncan of Caithness, Priest of Dull (871-)
19. Duncan MacDonachadh (890-)
20. Duncan, Thane of Dull (c.920-c.965)
21. Duncan, Thane of Atholl (c.949-c.1010)
22. Crinan of Dunkeld, Hereditary Abbott of Dunkeld (c.976-1045)
	* m. Princess Bethoc of Scotland (c.984-)
23. Maldred, King of Cumbria (c.1007-c.1045)
24. Lady Ealdgyth (Edith) of Northumbria (c.1015-)
25. Gospatric, Earl of Northumbria, 1st Earl of Dunbar (c.1040-1075)
	* m. Princess Aethelreda of England (-)
26. Earl Dolfin FitzGospatric, Lord of Cumbria, Appletreewick Hartlington & Rilston, Governor of Carlisle (c.1067-1100)
27. Dolphin fitz Dolphin de Bradlelay (1107-)
28. Richard de Bradelay (1145-)
29. John de Brodelegh I (1180-)
30. William de Brodelegh I (1210-1275)
31. William de Brodelegh II (1420-), Constable of Hailfax
	* m. Ellota (1250-)
32. Henry de Bordelegh I (1280-), Constable of Hailfax
33. John de Bradeleay (1320-1356), Constable of Ovenden
34. Henry de Brodelegh (1345-1402), Constable of Hailfax
35. Sir John de Brodelegh (c.1380-1456), Constable of Hiperholm & Ovenden
	* m. Lady Alice Unknown (1393-1425)
36. William de Brodelegh (1420-1481), Constable of Hailfiax
37. Thomas de Brodelegh (c.1450-), Constable of Hailfax
	* m. Elizabeth Rishton (c.1452-)
38. John Bradley (1475-1537)
	* m. Agnet Hynscliffe (1480-)
39. William Bradley I (1505-1577)
	* Anne Unknown (1518-1577)
40. Sir William Bradley II (1545-1600)
	* m. Agnes Margates (1573-1603)
41. John Bradley (1578-1642)
	* m. Katherine Bexwicke (1574-1643)
42. John Bradley (1614-1642)
	* m. Katherine Bostocke (1610-1663)
43. Nathan Bradley (1631-1701)
	* m. Mary Evans (1640-1711)
44. Nathan Bradley, Jr. (1674-1750)
	* m. Lydia Harden (1684-1752)
45. Samuel Bradlee (1707-1768)
	* Mary Andrus (1700-1796)
46. Pvt. Josiah Bradlee I (1754-1798)
	* m. Hannah Putnam (1758-1793)
47. Josiah Bradlee, Jr. (1778-1860)
	* m. Lucy Hall (1782-1816)
48. Frederic Hall Bradlee (1807-1886)
	* m. Lucy Wainwright (1810-1886)
49. Josiah Bradlee III (1837-1902)
	* m. Alice Crowninshield
50. Frederick Josiah Bradlee I (1866-1951)
	* m. Elizabeth Wainwright Thomas (1868-1952)
51. Frederick Josiah Bradlee, Jr. (1892-1970)
	* m. Chevaliere Josephine de Gersdorff (1896-1975)
52. Chevalier Benjamin Crowninshield Bradlee (1921-2014)

## See Also

* Americans Descended from Royalty
* Descendants of Nathan Bradley (1631-1701)
* Descendants of Participants of the American Civil War
* Descendants of Participants of the American Revolutionary War
* English Americans
* German Americans
* Irish Americans
* Spanish Americans
* Participants of World War II
* People in the U.S. Navy in World War II
* People in the U.S. Navy in World War II from Massachusetts
* Sailors and Passengers of the USS DD498
* Sailors and Passengers on American Destroyers
* Sailors and Passengers on American Navy vessels
* People Born in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
* People Born in Suffolk County, Massachusetts
* People who Died in Georgetown, Washington, DC
* People who Died in Washington, DC
* People who have been Divorced
* People who have been Married for Three Times
* People with Colonial American Ancestors
* People with the Surname Bradlee