• Journalist and radio commentator Walter Winchell was born Walter Weinschel on April 7, 1897 to Russian-Jewish immigrants. He is best known as being the inventor of the gossip column genre, that he eventually moved to the airwaves. He ultimately changed the tenor of the news industry by exposing the private lives of public figures.

  • Career

    Walter Winchell left school after his sixth grade year. He entered Vaudeville with Gus Edwards' "The Newsboy Sextet." His first job in journalism came in the 1920's, when he joined a new small paper, The New York Evening Graphic. He later joined the New York Daily Mirror and his column for the Mirror later became syndicated in over 2,000 papers across the country. He started his radio career while still writing his column. He took his new gossip format to the radio waves and his breakthrough took place in 1932 when he was hired by NBC's Blue Network, a 15-minute show that was a mixture of entertainment and national news. Winchell's very distinctive radio show introduction began with a clicking telegraph key followed by: "Good evening Mr. and Mrs. North and South America and all the ships at sea. Lets go to press."

    Winchell was one of the first journalists in the United States to speak out negatively about Adolf Hitler. Winchell's coverage of the Lindbergh Kidnapping and subsequent trial was considered to be some of the best. Winchell supported Senator Joseph McCarthy during the Red Scare era and it was his support of the senator's "witch hunt" which ultimately led to the end of Winchell's career as he took on Jack Paar. Later,Winchell was hired by Desi Arnaz, to narrate the popular TV show The Untouchables.

    In 1948, Winchell's show topped Jack Benny and Fred Allen in ratings. Long after his death Winchell was honored by being inducted into Radio Hall of Fame in 2004.

  • Personal Life

    His personal life was marred by several family tragedies; his adopted daughter Gloria died of pneumonia at age nine and his only son Walt Jr. committed suicide at age 33. He was married once to Rita Greene for nine years, but they had no children and were divorced in 1928. He spent the rest of his life with June Magee, but they were never married. The two were able to keep the fact they were not really married a secret to their graves. His daughter "Walda" had mental instabilities that marred her life and she ultimately ended up being the only person at his graveside.

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