Walter Lippmann

Born in New York City in 1889, Walter Lippmann became one of the most widely read American journalists and political commentators of the 20th century. He studied at Harvard University, then moved quickly into public life as a writer, editor, and thinker during a period of enormous political and social change.

Lippmann helped found The New Republic and built a long career as a columnist whose work reached a national audience for decades. He is especially remembered for books such as Public Opinion, which explored how people understand politics and the world around them, and for his steady interest in democracy, foreign affairs, and the responsibilities of the press.

Over the course of his career, he earned two Pulitzer Prizes and remained an important public intellectual well into the later years of his life. He died in 1974, leaving behind a body of writing that still matters to readers interested in media, politics, and the way modern societies form their views.