Pulitzer Prize Recipient for Journalism. John J. Leary, Jr. received recognition as a journalist for the "New York World", for being the recipient of the 1920 Pulitzer Prize in the category of newspaper reporting. He received the award for the series of articles written during the national coal strike in the winter of 1919. His reports covered various labor issues and strikes during the West Virginia coal wars, including fights between union and non-union miners. His article "Coal Strike in West Virginia," which was published December 9, 1919 in the "New York Herald," was later published in various union journals. He labeled the situation between the mine owners and the coal miners as a type of feudal system, where the coal company pays the miners for their work, and in turn, the miners pay rent on a company owned house and purchase needed groceries and other supplies from the company's store at prices higher than average. During his career, he had many opportunities to interview the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. He compiled a collection of these interviews in the book "Talks with T. R.: From the Diaries of John L. Leary, Jr," which was originally published in 1920 and again in 2014. The book was dedicated to his parents, "John Joseph Leary and Mary Cronin Leary, natives of Ireland, who lived and died 100% Americans." Besides the "New York World," he was employed during his career by "Lynn Press," "The Denver Times," "New York Herald," "New York Tribune," "The Boston Journal," "The Boston Post," and "The Boston Record." In 1929 the editor of the "New York World," Herbert Bayard Swope Sr, a 1917 Pulitzer Prize recipient, retired, and in 1931 the newspaper closed its doors. After that, Leary was writing for the "New York Times." He married, Alice Ruth Dwyer in 1896, she died, two years before his death, in 1942.
Pulitzer Prize Recipient for Journalism. John J. Leary, Jr. received recognition as a journalist for the "New York World", for being the recipient of the 1920 Pulitzer Prize in the category of newspaper reporting. He received the award for the series of articles written during the national coal strike in the winter of 1919. His reports covered various labor issues and strikes during the West Virginia coal wars, including fights between union and non-union miners. His article "Coal Strike in West Virginia," which was published December 9, 1919 in the "New York Herald," was later published in various union journals. He labeled the situation between the mine owners and the coal miners as a type of feudal system, where the coal company pays the miners for their work, and in turn, the miners pay rent on a company owned house and purchase needed groceries and other supplies from the company's store at prices higher than average. During his career, he had many opportunities to interview the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. He compiled a collection of these interviews in the book "Talks with T. R.: From the Diaries of John L. Leary, Jr," which was originally published in 1920 and again in 2014. The book was dedicated to his parents, "John Joseph Leary and Mary Cronin Leary, natives of Ireland, who lived and died 100% Americans." Besides the "New York World," he was employed during his career by "Lynn Press," "The Denver Times," "New York Herald," "New York Tribune," "The Boston Journal," "The Boston Post," and "The Boston Record." In 1929 the editor of the "New York World," Herbert Bayard Swope Sr, a 1917 Pulitzer Prize recipient, retired, and in 1931 the newspaper closed its doors. After that, Leary was writing for the "New York Times." He married, Alice Ruth Dwyer in 1896, she died, two years before his death, in 1942.
Bio by: Linda Davis
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