Edward E. Fitzgerald
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
September 10, 1919
- Sportswriter
- magazine editor
- publishing executive
Edward Earl Fitzgerald | |
|---|---|
 Edward E. Fitzgerald, Editor Sport magazine | |
| Born | Edward Earl Fitzgerald September 10, 1919 |
| Died | February 11, 2001 (aged 81) New Rochelle, New York, U.S. |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1940s through 1970s |
Edward Earl Fitzgerald (September 10, 1919 – February 11, 2001) was a sports journalist, editor of Sport magazine, executive in chief of the Book-of-the-Month Club, founder of the Quality Paperback Book Club, president of the books division at Doubleday, and president of McCall's Magazine Group.[1] He also edited, authored and co-authored numerous sports books.
After serving in the Army during World War II, Fitzgerald began his journalism career by getting hired as a writer at the newly formed Sport magazine, a monthly which helped define the sports publication genre and predated its future rival Sports Illustrated by a decade.[2][3] He launched a parallel career as an editor and author of sports books, including Kick-Off! Great Moments on the Gridiron (1948) and The Story of the Brooklyn Dodgers (1949). In addition, he wrote youth-oriented works of fiction in the "Barnes sports novel series".
In 1951, he was promoted to Editor-in-Chief of Sport, a position he held throughout the 1950s. With his stream of published books, and his tenure at Sport, Fitzgerald built a national reputation. Athletes who wanted to write memoirs often sought him out, for example, he edited the 1958 autobiography of tennis star Althea Gibson. During the decade, he found time to edit other magazines, including True Detective and Saga: True Adventures for Men.[4]
In 1960, Fitzgerald was named president of the Doubleday books division, which included the Literary Guild. In 1968, he became president of McCall's Magazine Group, the company which published McCall's, Redbook, and Saturday Review. He continued to co-author sports memoirs, working with Yogi Berra on the Yankee catcher's 1961 autobiography.[5] A few years later, Fitzgerald co-wrote the memoirs of sportscaster Mel Allen and football player Johnny Unitas.[6]
From 1973 through 1984, Fitzgerald headed the Book-of-the-Month Club during its peak membership period when it expanded from general-interest hardcovers into a wide selection of titles as well as specialty niches.[6] He founded the affiliate organization, the Quality Paperback Book Club. He served as Book-of-the-Month Club's president starting in 1973, and was named chief executive in 1979. He oversaw the club's integration into Time Inc. when the latter acquired it in 1977.[1]
