Edmund C. Arnold, a typographer and educator who transformed the look
of American newspapers, died February 2 in Roanoke, Virginia. He
was 93. During his long career in journalism, he became known as
the Father of Modern Newspaper Design for his work in typography,
helping newspapers across the U.S. and Canada adopt more modern and
readable formats.
He was born in Bay City, Michigan on June 25, 1913 and began his
journalism career at the Frankenmuth (MI) News, where he became
co-owner and editor. He had the idea to turn a sleepy farm
village with three hotels serving chicken dinners into a Bavarian-theme
extravaganza. Frankenmuth is now the number-one tourist
attraction in Michigan.
He also worked as picture editor of the Saginaw (MI) News and night
state editor of the Lansing (MI) State Journal. He moved to New
York City in 1954 to become editor of Linotype News, a publication of
the Mergenthaler Linotype Company, which manufactured typesetting
equipment. In this job he became influential as a writer and
speaker on newspaper design.
He helped design or redesign hundreds of newspapers including the
Chicago Tribune, the Christian Science Monitor, Newsday, the Boston
Globe, the Louisville Courier-Journal, the National Observer, the
Toronto Star, the Kansas City Star, El Vocero and El Mundo in San
Juan. He received the George Polk Memorial Award in 1957 for his
contribution to American journalism through typographic design.
In 1960 he joined the School of Journalism at Syracuse University,
where he headed the graphic arts department. Almost unheard of in the
academic world, he was named a full professor despite having no
previous formal teaching experience and despite having only a
bachelor's degree (Michigan State, 1954). He later was awarded
two honorary doctorates, from Hartwick and Wagner Colleges in New York.
In 1975 he moved to Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond VA,
where again he was a full professor and headed the graphic arts
department. He retired from VCU in 1983 but continued his work as
a consultant to publications.
He wrote 27 books on typography, graphic arts and organizational
publications; wrote regular columns for several professional
publications; and served as a speaker and workshop leader for thousands
of professional and educational groups. He conducted workshops in
every U.S. state and Canadian province, as well as Latin America and
Europe. He was named to the Journalism Hall of Fames in
Virginia and Michigan.
He served as a military journalist with the U.S. Army in France and
Germany during World War 2 and in later years was active in the 70th
Division Association, editing its quarterly magazine for more than 20
years. He also was active as a speaker and consultant to many
military journalism groups, and was given citations from the Department
of Defense for his civilian service.
Survivors include his wife, Viola, to whom he was married for 65 years;
children Kathleen Loomis of Louisville KY, Bethany Uhl of Roanoke, and
Bruce Arnold of Sydney, Australia; grandchildren Matthew and Stephen
Loomis, Allison Hayes, Mark Record and Robert Arnold; sons-in-law
Kenneth Loomis and Harold Uhl and daughter-in-law Nancy Fox.