API, Newspaper Industry Lose Two Pioneers

Two former American Press Institute executive directors passed away this week. Malcolm F. Mallette, 83, died November 25 at his home in Durham, N.C., and Walter Everett, 95, died November 28 at his home in Middletown, R.I.

"Both men were giants in the industry, true pioneers, and left a real legacy of achievement," said Andrew Davis, API's president and executive director.

Mallette was an API associate director, managing director, director and finally, director of development at API. His service spanned 21 years, ending in his retirement in June 1987. Prior to joining API, he worked as a sports reporter and then sports editor for the Asheville (N.C.) Citizen Times. He also worked as the sports director of the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal, and became the paper's managing editor.

Before his professional career in journalism, Mallette was minor-league baseball pitcher for seven years, appearing in the major leagues in two games with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950, where he played with Jackie Robinson and pitched batting practice for Joe DiMaggio.

Everett was with API for 26 years, during which he oversaw API's move from Columbia University in New York City to its current headquarters in Reston, Va. Prior to joining API he worked for 15 years on daily newspapers, beginning in 1933 as reporter with The Providence (R.I.) Journal. He eventually became city editor there, a position he held for eight years. He also worked on the news staff of The Salt Lake Tribune in Salt Lake City, Utah, and as city editor of the Greenwich (Conn.) Time.

Everett took a leave of absence from API to serve on the staff of President Harry Truman's International Development Board, headed by Nelson Rockefeller. He was active in planning and conducting special seminars for foreign journalists held in the United States by API under grants from the Ford and Rockefeller foundations.

Both men have been honored with API fellowships in their names. The Malcolm F. Mallette Fellowship provides tuition for a news editor or managing editor of a newspaper with circulation under 50,000 to attend select API seminars, and The Walter Everett Fellowship covers tuition for a city editor or supervising content editor. To make a donation to either fellowship, please contact Sarah Decker, API's assistant director of administration, at 703-715-3312.