William Safire 1930-2009
The staff of the Dictionary of American Regional English and its Board of Visitors honor the memory of our colleague and friend William Safire. Bill introduced the readers of “On Language” to DARE, which he called “the most exciting linguistic project going on in the United States.” His frequent references to the Dictionary contributed significantly to its success. We value his service on DARE’s Board of Visitors and celebrate his ability to play with language and embrace the wonders of American English.
WILLIAM SAFIRE wrote a column on grammar, usage, and etymology called “On Language,” which appeared regularly in the New York Times Magazine from 1979 through 2009. For many years he also wrote political commentary for the New York Times. In 1978, he received the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary. Mr. Safire worked as a senior White House speech writer for President Richard Nixon. He also worked as a radio and television producer, a U.S. Army correspondent, and as president of his own public relations firm. In recent years he served as Chairman of the Dana Foundation.
James J. Kilpatrick 1920-2010
The staff of the Dictionary of American Regional English and its Board of Visitors honor the memory of our word-maven colleague and Board member, syndicated columnist James J. Kilpatrick, who died on August 15, 2010. From his first introduction to DARE, Jack celebrated the rich variety and quirky creativity of American English. We regret that he did not live to see our letter Z.
Photo credit: Universal Uclick
JAMES J. KILPATRICK was a syndicated columnist for the Universal Press Syndicate. His columns The Writer’s Art and Covering the Courts appeared in newspapers nationwide. He has written or edited eleven books. Mr. Kilpatrick worked for over twenty years as a reporter and editor at the Richmond News newspaper. For nine years, he appeared on the 60 Minutes television program.