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John Parsons O'Donnell (July 23, 1896 – December 17, 1961) was an American political journalist primarily known for his tenure at the New York Daily News. Born in Somerville, Massachusetts, O'Donnell was the son of a doctor and pursued his education at Tufts College, graduating in 1920, followed by further studies at Harvard University.

His career in journalism began in 1923 as a reporter at the New York American. In 1927, he joined the New York Daily News, where he gained recognition for his political journalism, covering significant events such as Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1933 presidential inauguration and serving as a correspondent during World War II, reporting from the Maginot Line in France.

Throughout World War II, O'Donnell's journalism reflected the right-wing political biases of his publisher, William Randolph Hearst, which included shifting from initial admiration to harsh criticism of President Roosevelt. In response to this criticism, Roosevelt gave a fellow journalist an Iron Cross to give to O'Donnell. O'Donnell later reported on allegations regarding sexual promiscuity in the Women's Army Corps and also an antisemitic conspiracy theory about General George S. Patton's removal. O'Donnell's reporting in both incidents were discredited, and his publisher retracted the columns.

Early life and education

Born in Somerville, Massachusetts, O'Donnell was the son of a doctor. He graduated from Tufts College in 1920 with a B.A. degree. He then did graduate work at Harvard University and Dijon University.

Journalist career

O'Donnell served as an infantry lieutenant in World War I. In 1923, he became a reporter and assistant city editor at the New York American, a post he held until 1927, when he joined the New York Daily News. After others noticed his knack for political journalism, he was assigned to report on Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1933 presidential inauguration. In 1939, after World War II broke out, he became a correspondent for the Daily News; in this capacity he spent time with the British military's forces on the Maginot line in France.

Roosevelt criticism

O'Donnell followed his publisher William Randolph Hearst's turn from admiration to intense criticism of President Roosevelt. In December 1942, Roosevelt gave an Iron Cross to newsman Earl Godwin, whereupon he asked that it be given to O'Donnell. Roosevelt cited O'Donnell's reporting on former White House correspondent George Durno — viewed by other reporters as the President's favorite — as the reason for this gesture, which was criticized by the Chicago Tribune as a "new low in vilification".

WAAC controversy

In June 1943, O'Donnell's Capitol Stuff column did "incalculable damage" to the Women's Army Corps, thwarting recruiting efforts in war time. O'Donnell claimed that "contraceptives and prophylactic equipment will be furnished to members of the WAACS, according to a super secret agreement reached by the high ranking officers of the War Department and the WAAC chieftain, Mrs. William Pettus Hobby." This followed O'Donnell's June 7 column discussing efforts of women journalists and congresswomen to dispel "the gaudy stories of the gay and careless way in which the young ladies in uniform … disport themselves."

Although O'Donnell's allegations were refuted and the column was hastily retracted, the "fat was in the fire. The morals of the WAACs became a topic of general discussion." Denials of O'Donnell's fabrications and others like them were ineffectual. Three years after O'Donnell's column, "religious publications were still to be found reprinting the story, and actually attributing the columnist's lines to Director Hobby. Director Hobby's picture was labeled 'Astounding Degeneracy'."

Patton controversy

On October 3, 1945, O'Donnell wrote in his column that Gen. George S. Patton had been removed from his Army command in Bavaria thanks to "the secret and astoundingly effective might of this republic's foreign-born political leaders — such as Justice of the Supreme Court Felix Frankfurter of Vienna, White House administrative assistant Dave (Devious Dave) Niles, alias Neyhaus, and the Latvian ex-rabbinical student now known as Sidney Hillman." O'Donnell claimed that this pressure came about because the soldier whom Patton had slapped two years earlier, Charles H. Kuehl, was Jewish, and Patton allegedly used antisemitic epithets while slapping him.

In contrast to O'Donnell's claims, Kuehl was not Jewish, nor was another soldier whom Patton slapped that same month, Paul G. Bennett. All of the officials named denied any involvement in Patton's removal, and Patton himself denied ever making statements "denigrating any soldier's religion." Days later, O'Donnell was forced to retract the column, writing: "On the evidence, our statements in Capitol Stuff were untrue." Numerous advertisers boycotted the Daily News over O'Donnell's blatantly anti-Jewish language.

Personal life

O'Donnell married and divorced three times. His first wife was Kathryn Mullin (1902–1994), a bohemian artist and fencing champion. Mullin was the ex-wife of scenic designer Cleon Throckmorton, and she was known for her radio and stage performances as a ukulele player with the Crandall Saturday Nighters. As a stage performer, Mullin was billed as "The Girl With the Million Dollar Legs." When not performing, she was a renowned expert in women's saber fencing and gave public exhibitions which attracted hundreds of spectators. Mullin married O'Donnell in a civil ceremony on May 6, 1927, but they divorced soon after in 1929.

His second marriage, in 1930, was to fellow journalist Doris Fleeson; their daughter, Doris, was born two years later. O'Donnell and Fleeson divorced in 1942, after their political views had begun to diverge. During his marriage to Fleeson, he worked with her on a column called Capitol Stuff. He died on December 17, 1961, at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C..

Notes

1. ^ "Retired N.Y. News Chief in Capital Dies". Chicago Tribune. 18 December 1961. p. 11. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
2. ^ "John O'Donnell, Columnist, Dead" (PDF). New York Times. 18 December 1961. p. 35. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
3. "Roosevelt Sends Reporter Iron Cross" (PDF). New York Times. AP. 14 December 1942. p. 23. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
4. "George E. Durno, News Editor, Dies" (PDF). New York Times. 28 January 1957. p. 23. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
5. Adams, Phelps (20 December 1942). "F.D.R. Outburst Called New Low in Vilification". Chicago Tribune. p. 5. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
6. Bellafaire 1972
7. "Editorial: The WAACs Are All Right". News-Press. Fort Myers, Florida. June 16, 1943. p. 4. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
8. Treadwell 1954, pp. 249
9. O'Donnell, John (June 9, 1943). "Capitol Stuff". New York Daily News. pp. 4, 356. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
10. O'Donnell, John (June 9, 1943). "Capitol Stuff". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. p. 4. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
11. Ann Pfau, Miss Yourlovin: GIs, Gender, and Domesticity during World War II (Columbia University Press, 2008), chap. 2, online "Forced to retract his allegations, O'Donnell and his publisher remained determined to discredit the corps. Soon after this incident, O'Donnell was discovered 'canvassing Army general hospitals.' He sought ascertain the number of WAACs hospitalized for pregnancy and thus defend his reputation with undeniable proof of promiscuity."
12. "WAC Gossip Lie, Says Stimson". New York Daily News. AP. June 11, 1943. p. 5. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
13. Pyle, Ernie (July 8, 1943). "Ernie Pyle About WACs: Mothers Needn't Worry—Girls Safe, Doing Big Job". Boston Globe. p. 24. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
14. Lardner, John (June 9, 1943). "Lardner: WAACs Good Soldiers: Writer Resents Jokes That Have Been Written About Them and Refutes Slanderous Rumors—Praises Service in Africa". Indianapolis Star. p. 19. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
15. "Morals Are Good: Probe of WAACs Finds No Truth in Charges". Tipton Daily Tribune. Indiana. July 6, 1943. p. 3. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
16. Treadwell 1954, pp. 201–03
17. Treadwell 1954, pp. 216–18
18. Treadwell 1954, pp. 205 Footnote omitted.
19. "Capitol Stuff," New York Daily News, Oct. 3, 1945
20. "Capitol Stuff, New York Daily News, Oct. 8, 1945
21. Leonard Lyons, "The Lyons Den," New York Post, Oct. 23, 1945
22. "Former Horseheads Girl Becomes Bride". Star-Gazette (Monday ed.). Elmira, New York. May 9, 1927. p. 15. Retrieved May 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
23. Flambeau, Victor (February 5, 1922). "Flambeau Finds Washington's Bohemia In Hidden Haunt Where Cleon Throckmorton Stages His First Exhibition" (PDF). The Washington Times (Sunday ed.). Washington, D.C. p. 7. Retrieved October 20, 2020 – via Library of Congress.
24. "Ex-D.C. Artist Is Sued By Wife In N.Y. Divorce". The Washington Herald (Saturday ed.). Washington, D.C. December 17, 1926. p. 1. Retrieved May 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
25. "Army-Navy Game To Be Broadcast: 'Saturday Nighters' Featured". The Evening Star. Washington, D.C. November 28, 1925. p. 38. Retrieved October 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
26. Flambeau 1922, p. 7; Buffalo Courier Express 1926, p. 11.
27. "Thrilling War of the Rival Amateur Theaters Now Rages". Buffalo Courier Express (Sunday ed.). Buffalo, New York. April 18, 1926. p. 11. Retrieved May 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
28. "Fencing Matches at Briarcliff Tonight". The Herald Statesman (Friday ed.). White Plains, New York. June 22, 1923. p. 20. Retrieved May 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
29. Star-Gazette 1927, p. 15.
30. "Doris Fleeson, Columnist, Dies; Winner of Journalism Honors". The New York Times. 2 August 1970. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
31. Boylan, James (July 2010). "Brief Encounters". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 2 May 2017.

References

• Bellafaire, Judith A. (1972). The Women's Army Corps: A Commemoration of World War II Service. Washington, DC: United States Army Center of Military History. CMH Publication 72-15. Archived from the original on 2021-03-04. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
• Treadwell, Mattie E. (1954). The Women's Army Corps. United States Army in World War II (1991 ed.). United States Army Center of Military History. Archived from the original on 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2019-12-29. – full text; the standard scholarly history

• 1896 births
• 1961 deaths
• 20th-century American journalists
• American male journalists
• American political journalists
• New York Daily News people
• Tufts University alumni
• People from Somerville, Massachusetts
• Journalistic hoaxes