John Quinn, founding editor of USA TODAY, dies in Rhode Island
John Quinn, the founding editor of USA TODAY, died Tuesday in Rhode Island.
His health had been failing for some time before he returned to the hospital Monday, according to those close to him and his family. He passed away peacefully with his grandson and granddaughter at his side and was happy as could be, his family said in a statement.
Quinn had a long and distinguished career in journalism, both with Gannett and with the Newseum Institute. He was the executive vice president of news at Gannett, the parent company of USA TODAY, before retiring in 1990. Before that, he was the president of Gannett News Service.
Quinn began his career in journalism as a copy boy at The Provi
dence Journal Bulletin, where he worked for 23 years, according to the Newseum Institute. He leaves behind a legacy that includes the Chips Quinn Scholars Program for Diversity in Journalism, a scholarship named for Quinn and his son, John “Chips” Quinn Jr.
“Mr. Quinn was ... the conscience of Gannett in the early days,” said Bob Gabordi, Florida
Today executive editor. “He took me under his wing back then and treated me and dozens of others like we were special to him. He was a great man, one of the truly great journalists who ever worked for Gannett or any other company.”
Quinn lived for many decades in Cocoa Beach, Fla., where his daughter still resides.
Michael Coleman, the longestserving publisher of Florida To
day, remembered Quinn and the years they worked together fondly.
“He was simply the consummate newspaper editor,” Coleman said.
“He was frankly a legend in journalism, and he was Al Neuharth’s first and only choice to be the chief news exec for the Gannett company. And it was obvious why: He understood journalism.”
“Mr. Quinn was ... the conscience of Gannett in the early days.” Bob Gabordi, executive editor of Florida Today