February 12, 1980 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 2699 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS IRVING LEIBOWITZ recently. His death ends a career spanning ly told a. co-worker: "I did a lot of thinking 34 years of outstanding achievement as re- about what's important in life. My wife­ porter, editor, columnist, author, public that she's happy-that's the most important HON. ANDREW JACOBS, JR. speaker, school lecturer and community thing." OF INDIANA leader. ·· · To his associates and in ·his weekly ''Edi- IN THE HOUSE ·oF REPRESENTATIVES Private services will be Tuesday morning -tor's Notebook,''· he spoke often /and with at the W&lter Frey Funeral Home, Lorain, tender pride of his wife Plum and their Tuesday, February 12, 1980 and the burial will- follow · in the Salem three children.....:Dennis, 36, a ~tock analyst • Mr. JACOBS. Mr. Speaker, once Cemetery, Lorain. Public services will be at· on Wall Street; Alan, .33, a jazz expert and there lived real live Lou Grant. I 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Agudath B'nai Israel writer in Cambridge, Mass., and Marilyn, 25, a Temple, Lorain. a teacher at Bay Village High School. have never regretted so much as now Leibowitz was named editor of The Jour- Also surviving · are ·a sister, Mrs. Kay· the prohibition against pictures in the nal in 1966, following 18 years with The In- Verschleiser of Brooklyn, N.Y. and one CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. One look at dianapolis Times. At the Times, he rose grandchild. the hard-boiled softhearted Irving 'through the ranks from reporter and re- His column-carried in The Sunday Jour­ Leibowitz <1922-79> would eo~vince write desk, to statehouse correspondent, po- na1 he started eleven years ago-was a almost anyone that when Leibo died litical editor, city editor, assistant managing weekly gift of bis insight, full of his wit and· last · April, the world of · journalistic editor and managing editor. charm. In this grim moment, · some of his words well said was severely ·impover- · Prior to that he was state editor of the many reflections on the ·meaning of life and ished; Mansfield News Journal, a sister newspaper success bear repeating: to The Journal in the Horvitz group. He "Whatever comes up in life, you have only Irving Leibowitz was managing began his. career with two Virginia newspa- to ask yourself this question: Is it worthy of. editor of the Indianapolis Times pers, the Portsmouth Star and Suffolk me?" . during the fifties and sixties and then News-Herald. "Anyone in any walk of. life, rich or poor, edited the Lorain <Ohio) Journal for Leibowitz, who was born August 5, 1922 in who has the desire, can be a worthy guy and 13 years untll:eancer robbed us of him. ·New York City and grew up there, became set an elegant example. The word is 'class.'" Not unworthy of the example set by an enthusiastic part of the life of every city "The secret of the best years of' our lives Vlilliam Allen White, Irving Leibowitz _in which ·he worked. His career in Indian- is to plan for tomorrow, but live for today. and his work deserve to be remem­ apolis, home of his wife, Plum, led to his Treasure every mo~ent, every book, every bered in our Nation's CONGRESSIONJ\L 'book "My Indiana,'' a warm and sentimental encounter, every friendship, every lesson, RECORD. ·tribute to his adopted state. ' every me~. every scrap of living, every "I came from the sidewaiks of' New York second, even at work. It is possible even to I insert the following articles at this City/' he wrote in the book's introduction. savor. the sadness of life." · . point: · "Where do I come off writing a book. about And in a column marking his tenth anni­ [F'l'om the Lorain <Ohio) Journal, April30. Indiana? 1 have chutzpah. It is almost 1m- ~ersary as The Journal's. editor, he wrote: 1979] possible to translate chutzpah from Yiddish We were unafraid to crusade. for the people JOURNAL MOURNS THE DEATH OF EDITOR to English. It means more than gall, more an4 against the powers. We won s~me and ·IRviNG ~iBowin than brass. For example,· if a boy murdered lost ~om~. But we were always m there The phones rang and the presses rolled at his mother and father and then threw him- swingmg. The Journal today, but our energy and en­ self on the mercy of the court because he - · thusiasm to tell the news came to a crashing was an orphan, it could be said he had [From the Lorain <Ohio> .)-ournal, April30, stop. chutzpah.'' 19791 Irving Leibowitz, who pushed and prodded When he left Indiana._ where he took an IRVING LEIBOWITZ: DELIGHTFUL BLEND OF and nagged and ·loved ·us as editor of The irreverent. delight in tumbling sacred cows Two INPLUENCES Journal for' the past thirteen years, died of in his daily Column, Gov. Roger D. Branigin Leibo first noticed how it affected his cancer late Saturday night. He was 56. jokingly proclaimed Leibowitz ''Sagamore of tennis game; he just didn't have the stamina In a profession conditioned by endless sto­ the Wabash.'' At a farewell party in the ex­ he used to have and despite trying the usual .ries of tragedy, his death cuts through the ecutive mansion, Branigin cited "his human­ corrective remedies-getting mote sleep, protective walls and shocks his oolleagues ity in living, his loyalty in friendship, his givin~ up his cigars-he·simply couldn't get - who knew him as an example of journal­ wisdom in the council,'' the latter referring it back. · ism's finest spirit-aggressive but compas­ to his in.'3ightful-and sometimes stinging "It's called old age, Leibo,'' a friend chided sionate, in tireless pursuit of fairness. excel­ commentary on politicaa events. him. Both chuckled, but as the condition lence and truth. When he took over at The Journal, persisted, ·the banter began to disguise an "Leibo" was devoted to the newspaper Leibowitz said: "I believe a · good newspaper uneasiness in each person. business, and those who shared it with him has a heart and a soul. It fights for the un­ That· was last swnriler. .Between then and · have lost their most tenacious advocate and derdog and the downtrodden. It tells the · Saturday night, Journal Editor Irving dearest friend. ' truth. It takes a stand fearlessly against in­ Leibowitz quietly fought a frustrating battle "The most precious part of Irv Leibowitz's Justice. And 1t gives both sides in every dis· to, first, learn what was ailing him and, legacy is in The Journal newsroom and in pute. second, keep working when he was having other newspapers throughout the country,'' He never veered.from that principle. trouble Just climbing. two flights of stairs said James Lonergan, geneml manager ol As 'l'he Journal's editor, he was. not without stopping to rest. Finally, the cause The Journal. "lle leaves people so imbued merely committed to covering the news . of his weakness was diagnosed a few weeks with . his philosophy . so influenced by better than anyone else. In his daily memos ago and now cancer has ·won the battle. his fairness and talent that they are a re­ to the staff, he continually stressed that if a BQoks could be written-maybe they will flection of him. They are now or will newspaper is to fulfill its responsibility to be-about Irving LeibQwitz the newspaper­ · become outstanding journal!stS. What an its readers, it must do more than inform and man and Leibo the irrepressiole lover of hu­ outstanding, living legacy!" entertain them-tt must uplift them and im­ manity. T~ey were the same person and "Irving Leibowitz's untimely death was a prove their lives as well. .they melded so beautifully it was something ' tragedy to all· of us who knew end loved . While he ·was deeply involved in the com- to behold. him," said Harry Horvitz, the publisher of munity, Leibowitz turned 'down the many He was the gUtsy reporter whose first love ·The Journal. "He was a rare and privileged requests he had to serve on political, bank was getting a story-getting both stdes of a person who, in his short life, had a positive or hospital boards that might cause a con­ story, that is. He was the hard-driving, dead­ impact on his family, associates, profession flict with his primary function as a newspa­ line-beating, cigar-chomping ·editor who and community. His legacy will be the integ­ perman. "I do .not participate when I may wasn't the least !bit afraid of exposing cor­ rity and dedication to excellence which he be required to hold things back,'' he said in ruption or individual failure-but who abso­ not only liv{ld by but inspired others to response to one such request a few y~ars lutely deplored the cheap shot. · - , . adopt." · ago. He was 'the reallst who wa.S drenched in ·Leibowitz died at University Hospital in His dedication to the· newspaper business idealism; to a world full of pain-and gory . Cleveland, where he had been undergoing was second only to his love for his family. news pictures to match-Irving Leibowitz in­ treatment for bone cancer discovered only After a recent stay in the hospital, he quiet- troduced a front-page make-up that on most e This .. bullet" symbol identifies· statements ·or insertions which are_ not spoken by the Member on the floor. 2700 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS February 12, 1980 days features an unremarkable color picture "rm in a state of shock,.. said Rep.