Frank Fabian Mankiewicz II (May 16, 1924 – October 23, 2014) was an American journalist, political adviser, president ofNational Public Radio, and public relations executive.

Frank Mankiewicz was born in New York City^[2] and grew up inBeverly Hills, California, the son of Sara (Aaronson) andscreenwriterHerman J. Mankiewicz, who co-wroteCitizen Kane. His uncle,Joseph L. Mankiewicz, directed such films asAll About Eve andCleopatra. His brother was television writerDon Mankiewicz. They grew up near theMarx Brothers, andHarpo Marx was a presence at Mankiewicz family Passover Seders. "He would pick up the Paschal lamb bone and lead a parade around the table," Frank Mankiewicz recalled.^[3]

After graduating from Beverly Hills High School, he briefly attendedHaverford College before dropping out to join the army infantry duringWorld War II. He fought in theBattle of the Bulge.^[4]

After the war, Mankiewicz received a bachelor's degree inpolitical science fromUniversity of California, Los Angeles in 1947; a master's degree from theColumbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1948; and anLL.B. fromUniversity of California, Berkeley in 1955. He was president ofNational Public Radio from 1977 to 1983, overseeing the creation ofMorning Edition and the expansion of the network. He resigned due to a $6 million debt that required NPR to be bailed out by theCorporation for Public Broadcasting and member stations.^[5] He had also served as regional director for thePeace Corps in Latin America, presidential campaign press secretary in 1968 toU.S. SenatorRobert F. Kennedy, and campaign director for 1972 Democratic presidential nomineeGeorge McGovern.

Mankiewicz is a recurring figure inHunter S. Thompson'sFear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72. Thompson described Mankiewicz more positively than many other political operatives, though Mankiewicz was outraged by Thompson's characterization of him as a "rumpled little man who looked like a used-car salesman."

On June 5, 1968, at theAmbassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, having wonthe California primary election duringhis 1968 campaign for theU.S. presidency and given his victory speech,was gunned down just after midnight in the kitchen area as he was heading for a press conference. The Senator was taken first to Central Receiving Hospital, thenGood Samaritan Hospital. Once Kennedy was admitted to GSH, news correspondents set up temporary press headquarters in a nearby gymnasium.

Throughout the day, Mankiewicz provided medical bulletins to the news media as received. One of his first reports came after 7 a.m., approximately four hours after surgery was completed to remove fragments of the bullet from Kennedy's brain; Mankiewicz reported that his vital signs were impaired but the senator was breathing on his own. However, by 1:30 p.m., Kennedy's condition had been downgraded from "critical" to "extremely critical". Several hours later, Mankiewicz returned to the news media headquarters with this report:

The team of physicians attending Senator Robert Kennedy is concerned over his continuing failure to show improvement during the post-operative period. Senator Kennedy's condition is still described as extremely critical. There will be no further regular bulletins until early tomorrow morning.

At 1:59 a.m. the next morning, a physically and emotionally exhausted Mankiewicz appeared before the news media and, remaining composed, relayed what turned out to be the final report:

I have, uh, a short—I have a short announcement to read, which I will read, uh—at this time. Senator Robert Francis Kennedy died at 1:44 a.m. today, June 6, 1968. With Senator Kennedy at the time of his death were his wife Ethel, his sisters Mrs. Stephen Smith, Mrs. Patricia Lawford, his brother-in-law Mr. Stephen Smith, and his sister-in-law Mrs. John F. Kennedy. He was 42 years old. Thank you.

His work in politics earned him a place on themaster list of Nixon's political opponents. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for theU.S. House of Representatives inMaryland's 8th congressional district in 1976.^[6]

In 1974, Mankiewicz acted as a secret emissary, carrying messages fromSecretary of StateHenry Kissinger toFidel Castro, and then reporting back to Kissinger. In January 1975, Mankiewicz andLawrence Eagleburger held a clandestine meeting with Castro's representativeRamón Sánchez-Parodi atLaGuardia airport. This secret diplomacy failed to produce a political breakthrough.^[7]

In 1984, Frank Mankiewicz wrote forQuarante magazine owned by Kathleen Katz of Arlington. A piece he wrote forQuarante in 1985 was one of the first to point out how television coverage of politics had changed. The article was titled, "Politics and Media: In Search of An Angle". He wrote:

As part-time advisor to SenatorGary Hart's presidential campaign in 1984—the first I had participated in actively since 1972—I was struck by the minutiae of the press's questions. The authorship of a speech—the identity of the speechwriters—seemed far more important than its content. Strategy was a primary concern—which votes are being sought? How much money has been raised for television commercials? Who will produce the commercials? ... Rarely if ever does the question turn on such things as "does he have the right ideas?" or "would he make a strong—or even good—president?"

Mankiewicz lived in Washington, D.C., with his second wife, novelist Patricia O'Brien, who also writes under the pseudonym of Kate Alcott. His sonJosh Mankiewicz is anNBC News correspondent, while his sonBen Mankiewicz is aTurner Classic Movies host and a host onThe Young Turks, who also served from September 2008 to September 2009 as co-host (withBen Lyons) ofAt the Movies.^[3] Both Josh and Ben Mankiewicz live inLos Angeles.

According to Mankiewicz, he promptedLyn Nofziger's efforts to halt the 1970sU.S. metrication effort, who convinced PresidentRonald Reagan to shut down theUnited States Metric Board.^[8]

In 2016, Mankiewicz's memoir was publishedSo as I Was Saying ... My Somewhat Eventful Life, with coauthor Joel Swerdlow (Thomas Dunne Books).^[9]

Mankiewicz died in Washington, D.C., on October 23, 2014, at the age of 90.^[3] His son, Ben, stated that he died of internal bleeding,^[10] while son Josh, anNBC News correspondent, and family spokesmanAdam Clymer, a formerNew York Times reporter, both said the reason for his hospitalization had been heart and lung problems, and that he had died of heart failure.^[2][4]

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