Alden Whitman

Alden Whitman
In The New York Times newsroom (1968)
Born	(1913-10-27)October 27, 1913 New Albany, Nova Scotia, Canada
Died	September 4, 1990(1990-09-04) (aged 76) Monte Carlo, Monaco
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Harvard University
Occupations	Journalist obituarist book reviewer activist
Years active	1935–1988
Employers	New York Herald Tribune (1943—1951) The New York Times (1951—1976)
Known for	Pioneered the writing of biographical obituaries
Criminal charges	Contempt of Congress
Criminal penalty	Probation
Spouses	Dorothy McLaughlin ​ ​ (m. 1933; div. 1939)​ Helen Kaposey ​ ​ (m. 1939; div. 1960)​ Joan McCracken ​ (m. 1960)​
Children	4
Awards	George Polk Career Award (1979)

Alden Rogers Whitman (October 27, 1913 – September 4, 1990) was an American journalist who served as chief obituary writer for The New York Times from 1964 to 1976. In that role, he pioneered a more vivid, biographical approach to obituaries, some based on interviews with his subjects in advance of their deaths. Whitman was also the target of a McCarthy-era investigation into communists in the press. Under questioning by the United States Senate Subcommittee on Internal Security in 1956, he acknowledged his affiliation with the Communist Party USA but refused to name other party members. The ensuing eight-year legal battle over contempt of Congress ended with all charges dismissed.