William Safire (1929–2009)
Author of “Onomatopoeia”
When it comes to questions about the use—and misuse—of the English language, few people have more answers or observations than William Safire. A political columnist for the New York Times until his retirement in 2005, Safire continues to write the New York Times Magazine's “On Language” column. The column has generated ten books and made Safire the world's most widely read author on the English language.
Safire is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science, an elite public school in New York City. He attended Syracuse University but dropped out after two years. A generation later, he delivered the commencement address at Syracuse and also became a trustee of the university.
A Career in Writing The 1978 Pulitzer Prize winner for Distinguished Commentary, Safire worked in public relations and television before becoming involved in politics. He worked for Richard Nixon's presidential campaign in 1960 and again in 1968. When Nixon was elected in 1968, Safire became the senior White House speechwriter.
In addition to his writings on language, Safire is the author of three novels, a political dictionary, several anthologies, and other works. In 2006, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush.