Jeff Nesmith | |
|---|---|
| Born | Hollis Jefferson Nesmith Jr. (1940-06-28)June 28, 1940 |
| Died | January 13, 2023(2023-01-13) (aged 82) Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. |
| Education | University of Florida |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Spouse | Achsah (Posey) Nesmith |
| Children | Two |
| Awards | Pulitzer Prize (1998) |
Hollis Jefferson Nesmith Jr. (June 28, 1940 – January 13, 2023) was an American journalist and author.[1] During his time at theDayton Daily News, he won the 1998Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting withRussell Carollo for uncovering mismanagement in military healthcare.[2]
Nesmith graduated with his bachelor's degree from theUniversity of Florida School of Journalism in 1963.[2] He was the author ofNo Higher Honor, published in 1999, a history of theUSS Yorktown, frequently referred to as "Uncle Joe's boat."[3] Nesmith served on theReporters Committee for Freedom of the Press steering committee from 1999 through 2002.[4]
After graduation, Nesmith worked as a part-time reporter with thePlant City Courier in Florida and then taught 12th grade at Howey Academy from 1963 to 1964.
His first full-time job in the news business was as an obituary writer for theAtlanta Constitution. He continued with theConstitution as a reporter covering the police, city government, and state politics. By 1968, Nesmith was the assistant city editor[5] at theConstitution.[1][2] He briefly worked at thePhiladelphia Evening Bulletin before the paper "crumbled," returning to work withCox News Service at the Washington D.C. bureau.[6] Nesmith worked on projects with theDayton Daily News, one of three Ohio newspapers owned by Cox.[2] In his last position with Cox, he served as Correspondent for Health and Science.[7]
Nesmith was a finalist for the Pulitzer for national reporting in 1996, along with Carol Hernandez, Russell Carollo and Cheryl Reed, for his contributions on two articles, "Military Secrets" and "Prisoners on the Payroll."[8]
While working in Spokane, Washington, Nesmith and Russell Carollo heard about a doctor in the military who had been accused of a crime, and subsequently learned that military doctors were not required to be certified in the state where they practice. Nesmith (already a part of Cox Enterprises, owners of theDayton Daily News), with Carollo, conducted a year-long investigation[7] into the military healthcare system, concerned that such a low hiring standard "would result in hurting a lot of people," and "attract doctors with problems practicing in a civilian system."[9][10]
In the fall of 1997, theDayton Daily News published a series of seven stories titled "Unnecessary Danger" written by Nesmith and Carollo, reporting on flaws in the military's health care system and protections that specifically protected the military from lawsuits over medical malpractice such as the 1950Feres doctrine and the 1943 Military Claims Act.[11]
The first article in the series explained: "Congress in 1986 passed a law prohibiting the release of any information about the quality of military doctors. Many states have similar laws, intended to encourage open discussions among doctors. But the military uses the federal law to protect the same types of informationstate medical boards release every day."[12] During the year-long investigation, Carollo and Nesmith found 200 doctors that were "linked to incompetence andmalpractice," including one doctor installed as a hospital commander in Germany who had been accused of malpractice 15 times over 14 years.[12]
The reports outlined how the military system failed to meet the same standards and safeguards enjoyed by the civilian population; these flaws sometimes led to injury and death. The first article in the series was published on October 5, 1997. The series of stories is listed below.
The project won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting.[2] In April 1998, theAssociated Press reported that "after the series was published, the military promised Congress it would make more than a dozen changes to its medical system, and the Pentagon announced the creation of a civilian board to review malpractice cases."[18]
Hollis Jefferson Nesmith Jr. was born to parents Hollis Jefferson and Thetis Jefferson.[1] He used his full name while writing for theAtlanta Constitution early in his career, deciding sometime after 1968 to be known as Jeff Nesmith.[19]
In 1966, Nesmith married Achsah (Posey) Nesmith,[1] a journalist and the first female speechwriter to serve a full term for a United States president,U.S. PresidentJimmy Carter.[20] They had two children: Susannah Nesmith, a reporter and attorney based in Miami,[21] and Jeff Nesmith, a designer and filmmaker based in Washington, D.C.[22] The Nesmiths resided inAlexandria, Virginia.[6]
Nesmith died of cancer on January 13, 2023, at the age of 82.[23] Achsah died on March 5, 2024, at the age of 84.[24]
