Family Obituary for Edmund C. Arnold

Read the official family news release on Edmund Arnold's death, written by his daughter Kathleen Loomis.

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Edmund C Arnold 1913 - 2007

Edmund C. Arnold, a typographer and educator who transformed the look of American newspapers, died February 2 in Roanoke, Virginia. He was 93. During his long career in journalism, he became known as the Father of Modern Newspaper Design for his work in typography, helping newspapers across the U.S. and Canada adopt more modern and readable formats.

He was born in Bay City, Michigan on June 25, 1913 and began his journalism career at the Frankenmuth (MI) News, where he became co-owner and editor. He had the idea to turn a sleepy farm village with three hotels serving chicken dinners into a Bavarian-theme extravaganza. Frankenmuth is now the number-one tourist attraction in Michigan.

He also worked as picture editor of the Saginaw (MI) News and night state editor of the Lansing (MI) State Journal. He moved to New York City in 1954 to become editor of Linotype News, a publication of the Mergenthaler Linotype Company, which manufactured typesetting equipment. In this job he became influential as a writer and speaker on newspaper design.

He helped design or redesign hundreds of newspapers including the Chicago Tribune, the Christian Science Monitor, Newsday, the Boston Globe, the Louisville Courier-Journal, the National Observer, the Toronto Star, the Kansas City Star, El Vocero and El Mundo in San Juan. He received the George Polk Memorial Award in 1957 for his contribution to American journalism through typographic design.

In 1960 he joined the School of Journalism at Syracuse University, where he headed the graphic arts department. Almost unheard of in the academic world, he was named a full professor despite having no previous formal teaching experience and despite having only a bachelor's degree (Michigan State, 1954). He later was awarded two honorary doctorates, from Hartwick and Wagner Colleges in New York. In 1975 he moved to Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond VA, where again he was a full professor and headed the graphic arts department. He retired from VCU in 1983 but continued his work as a consultant to publications.

He wrote 27 books on typography, graphic arts and organizational publications; wrote regular columns for several professional publications; and served as a speaker and workshop leader for thousands of professional and educational groups. He conducted workshops in every U.S. state and Canadian province, as well as Latin America and Europe. He was named to the Journalism Hall of Fames in Virginia and Michigan.

He served as a military journalist with the U.S. Army in France and Germany during World War 2 and in later years was active in the 70th Division Association, editing its quarterly magazine for more than 20 years. He also was active as a speaker and consultant to many military journalism groups, and was given citations from the Department of Defense for his civilian service.

Survivors include his wife, Viola, to whom he was married for 65 years; children Kathleen Loomis of Louisville KY, Bethany Uhl of Roanoke, and Bruce Arnold of Sydney, Australia; grandchildren Matthew and Stephen Loomis, Allison Hayes, Mark Record and Robert Arnold; sons-in-law Kenneth Loomis and Harold Uhl and daughter-in-law Nancy Fox.