Joseph A. Loftus (1907 – January 3, 1990)[1] was a 20th-century American reporter forThe New York Times who covered unions, like theInternational Brotherhood of Teamsters, extensively and later worked as a communications assistant toGeorge P. Shultz at theU.S. Department of Labor andU.S. Department of the Treasury.[2]
Joseph A. Loftus was born inScranton, Pennsylvania, and had one brother and three sisters. In 1928, he graduated from theUniversity of Scranton with a bachelor's degree. While a student, he worked theScranton Tribune and theInternational News Service. In 1931, he obtained a degree from theColumbia University Graduate School of Journalism.[2]
In 1936, Loftus moved to Washington, DC to work for theAssociated Press as a journalist.[2] Tackling politics, economics and labor for the Washington Bureau, he began working atThe New York Times in 1944.[2] His coverage included the downfall ofWare Group member ofProgressive PartyLee Pressman in February 1948.[3] He covered union news extensively, like the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.[citation needed] In 1954, he appeared as a talk show panelist onLongines Chronoscope.[4] In the late '50s he covered the James Hoffa / Teamsters Union hearings and through that assignment met Robert Kennedy. Through Kennedy as a professional and personal friend he met the older brother Jack. In the spring of 1960 the NY Times made Loftus the reporter for Kennedy's campaign and then traveled the country with the candidate up through the election. Afterwards the NYTs made Loftus the White House reporter which he then covered through the assassination and into the Johnson administration. In 1969, he resigned from the paper.[2]
In 1969, Loftus became a communications specialist toSecretary of Labor George P. Shultz as part of the presidential administration of the newly electedRichard Nixon.[2] Loftus moved with Shultz to the Treasury Department.[2]
He was awarded the firstLouis Stark scholarship as aNieman Fellow toHarvard University in 1960.[2]
Loftus married twice, both wives were named Mary and he had two daughters with his first wife.[2] He moved toSarasota, Florida, in 1983.[2]
On January 3, 1990, at age 82, he died at home after a series of strokes.[2]
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