Pennekamp, John D., 1897-1978

Journalist, of Miami, Fla.

Journalist and conservationist, of Florida; associated with Miami Herald for 51 years.

Journalist, newspaper editor, environmentalist.

Born and educated in Ohio. Joined the Miami Herald in 1925 as city manager and later became managing editor. Member of the Everglades National Park Commission, 1945-1947; chairman, Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials, 1953-1976.

John D. Pennekamp was a longtime journalist, newspaper editor, and environmentalist in South Florida. He was born in 1897 and moved from Cincinnati to South Florida after 14 years of newspaper experience at the Cincinnati Post . In 1925, he continued his newspaper career at the Miami Herald as a city editor. He also worked as the associate editor of the paper for several years, and he retired from the newspaper in 1976. One highlight of his work at the Miami Herald was winning a notable court case ( John D. Pennekamp and The Miami Herald Publishing Company vs. the State of Florida ), thus proving that newspapers had the right to criticize the courts.

Pennekamp was a leader in the creation of the Everglades National Park. His interest in conservation led him to serve as a member of the Everglades National Park Commission from 1945-1947 and as chairman of the Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials from 1953-1976. In 1960, Governor LeRoy Collins named America's first underwater state park the John D. Pennekamp State Park in acknowledgement of Pennekamp's dedication to conservation. Pennekamp died at the age of 81 in 1978.

Source: Some of Pennekamp's journalistic career is covered in Cornelia Mae Twigg's 1977 thesis, "Editor John D. Pennekamp: Herald of Change," which is held at the University of Florida.