James Batten
Encyclopedia
James Knox Batten was an American journalist and publisher. He was chief executive officer of Knight-Ridder publishing. A native of Suffolk, Virginia
, he studied chemistry and biology at Davidson College
and began working as a journalist for the Charlotte Observer in 1957. He joined Knight-Ridder's Washington, D.C.
bureau in 1965 and covered the American Civil Rights Movement. He became City Editor of the Detroit Free Press in 1971, then returning to Charlotte, N.C. in 1972 as Executive Editor. He moved to the company's corporate headquarters in Miami in 1975, becoming company president in 1982. Batten became chairman of Knight Ridder on October 1, 1989, succeeding Alvah Chapman, Jr.
.
He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
in 1994. The same year, he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and survived one year. He died in Miami aged 59.
Suffolk, Virginia
Suffolk is the largest city by area in Virginia, United States, and is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 84,585. Its median household income was $57,546.-History:...
, he studied chemistry and biology at Davidson College
Davidson College
Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. The college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine, although it has recently dropped to 11th in U.S. News...
and began working as a journalist for the Charlotte Observer in 1957. He joined Knight-Ridder's Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
bureau in 1965 and covered the American Civil Rights Movement. He became City Editor of the Detroit Free Press in 1971, then returning to Charlotte, N.C. in 1972 as Executive Editor. He moved to the company's corporate headquarters in Miami in 1975, becoming company president in 1982. Batten became chairman of Knight Ridder on October 1, 1989, succeeding Alvah Chapman, Jr.
Alvah Chapman, Jr.
Alvah Herman Chapman, Jr. was an American newspaper publisher who served at the helm of The Miami Herald and as chairman of the Knight Ridder newspaper division.-Biography:...
.
He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
in 1994. The same year, he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and survived one year. He died in Miami aged 59.