Wallace, Tom, 1874-1961

Tom Wallace was born November 16, 1874 in Crittenden County, Kentucky. After working as a bookeeper in Kentucky and in New York City, Wallace took an unpaid job as a cub reporter in 1900 at the Louisville Times. He subsequently held a series of brief newspaper jobs at the St. Louis Republic and the Louisville Evening Post among others. In 1905 Wallace joined the editorial staff of The Courier-Journal under the direction of then editor Henry Watterson. In 1923 Wallace was named head of the Louisville Times editorial page and later became editor in 1930. Wallace also distinguished himself as a conservationist during a long fight to prevent the construction of a hydroelectric dam at Cumberland Falls (1926-1931), and he continued his involvement in the conservation movement throughout his career. In 1934 he received the Pugsley Silver Medal from the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society. From 1942 to 1945 he served as director of the Izaak Walton League of America, and later served as president of the organization from 1946 to 1947. In addition, Wallace served as president of the Southern Forestry Congress (1927), president of the National Conference on State Parks, vice president of the American Planning and Civic Association, vice president of the American Forestry Association, and as a member of the National Park Service Advisory Board. Aside from his conservation interests, Wallace promoted better relations with Latin America and served as vice president of the International Pan-American Press Congress (1943), and later as president (1945), chairman, and honorary lifetime president of the Inter-American Press Association. For his contributions towards improving U.S.- Latin American relations Wallace received the Maria Moors Cabot Award in 1945. Professionally, Wallace built a reputation as a bold and uncompromising editor. In recognition of his efforts, he was elected president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors in 1940-1941. Wallace retired from the Louisville Times in 1948, but frequently contributed to the paper as editor emeritus until his death on June 5, 1961 at his home in Prospect, Kentucky. The Tom Wallace lake in Jefferson County Memorial Forest and the Tom Wallace Chair of Conservation at the University of Louisville are both named in his honor.

From the description of Tom Wallace papers, 1925-1960. (Filson Historical Society, The). WorldCat record id: 60767184