Paul L. Montgomery
Encyclopedia
Paul Lauren Montgomery was a longtime reporter for The New York Times
who wrote about local and international affairs for the newspaper.
and raised in Spring Valley, New York
. He attended Columbia University
, graduating from the school in 1958.
He spent two years as a textbook editor before being hired by The New York Times
in 1959. His first position with the newspaper was as a copy boy. In the early 1960s, Montgomery covered the rioting in Harlem
and the civil rights movement in the Southern United States, including the Selma to Montgomery marches
.
He was the Times' bureau chief in Rio de Janeiro
from 1966 to 1969, where he traveled extensively across Latin America
. Article subjects from this period included his 1967 journeys with soldiers from the Bolivian Army
on their search for Che Guevara
. He also wrote stories about the difficulties of life in the slums of Ecuador
and coverage of clashes between federal soldiers and protesters in the Tlatelolco Massacre
that took place on October 2, 1968, in Mexico City
, ten days before the 1968 Summer Olympics
and left an estimated 200 to 300 deaths.
A series of article he wrote in March 1970 resulted in the release of four visitors from Cuenca, Ecuador
who had been charged with setting off a simultaneous detonation of incendiary devices in the Alexander's
and Bloomingdale's
department stores in New York City. The dismissal of charges against the group came after the New York City Police Department
was able to corroborate elements of the group's story that had first been published in an article in the Times by Montgomery.
He left the Times in 1982, and wrote from Europe for The Wall Street Journal
.
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
who wrote about local and international affairs for the newspaper.
Biography
Montgomery was an only child, born on May 25, 1936, in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
and raised in Spring Valley, New York
Spring Valley, New York
Spring Valley, incorporated on July 9, 1902 is a village spanning the Town of Ramapo and Town of Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Nanuet; east of Airmont and Monsey; south of Hillcrest and west of West Nyack...
. He attended Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, graduating from the school in 1958.
He spent two years as a textbook editor before being hired by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
in 1959. His first position with the newspaper was as a copy boy. In the early 1960s, Montgomery covered the rioting in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
and the civil rights movement in the Southern United States, including the Selma to Montgomery marches
Selma to Montgomery marches
The Selma to Montgomery marches were three marches in 1965 that marked the political and emotional peak of the American civil rights movement. They grew out of the voting rights movement in Selma, Alabama, launched by local African-Americans who formed the Dallas County Voters League...
.
He was the Times
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
from 1966 to 1969, where he traveled extensively across Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. Article subjects from this period included his 1967 journeys with soldiers from the Bolivian Army
Bolivian Army
The Bolivian Army or Ejército Boliviano is the land forces component of the Military of Bolivia, the Bolivian Army has around 31,500 men.- Combat units directly under the Army general command :...
on their search for Che Guevara
Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...
. He also wrote stories about the difficulties of life in the slums of Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
and coverage of clashes between federal soldiers and protesters in the Tlatelolco Massacre
Tlatelolco massacre
The Tlatelolco massacre, also known as The Night of Tlatelolco , was a government massacre of student and civilian protesters and bystanders that took place during the afternoon and night of October 2, 1968, in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas in the Tlatelolco section of Mexico City...
that took place on October 2, 1968, in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, ten days before the 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
and left an estimated 200 to 300 deaths.
A series of article he wrote in March 1970 resulted in the release of four visitors from Cuenca, Ecuador
Cuenca, Ecuador
Cuenca is the capital of the Azuay Province. It is located in the highlands of Ecuador at about 2500 m above sea level...
who had been charged with setting off a simultaneous detonation of incendiary devices in the Alexander's
Alexander's
Alexander's was a department store chain in the New York metropolitan area. Catering to low- and middle-income consumers, Alexander's offered discounted designer fashions and high-quality private label goods. At its height, the company operated 16 stores. Its advertising slogan was "You'll find...
and Bloomingdale's
Bloomingdale's
Bloomingdale's is an American department store owned by Macy's, Inc. .Bloomingdale's started in 1861 when brothers Joseph and Lyman G. Bloomingdale started selling hoop-skirts in their Ladies Notions' Shop on Manhattan's Lower East Side...
department stores in New York City. The dismissal of charges against the group came after the New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
was able to corroborate elements of the group's story that had first been published in an article in the Times by Montgomery.
He left the Times in 1982, and wrote from Europe for The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
.