William Safire
William Lewis Safire (/ˈsæfaɪər/; né Safir; December 17, 1929 – September 27, 2009[1][2]) was an American author, columnist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter. He was a long-time syndicated political columnist for The New York Times and wrote the "On Language" column in The New York Times Magazine about popular etymology, new or unusual usages, and other language-related topics.
William Safire
William Lewis Safir
December 17, 1929
New York City, U.S.
September 27, 2009 (aged 79)
Rockville, Maryland, U.S.
- Author
- columnist
- lexicographer
- journalist
- political speechwriter
Non-fiction
Politics
Helene Belmar Julius
2
Early life and education[edit]
Safire was born William Lewis Safir in New York City, the son of Ida (née Panish) and Oliver Craus Safir.[3][4] His family was Jewish and of Romanian origin on his father's side.[5] Safire later added the "e" to his surname for pronunciation reasons, although some of his relatives continued to use the original spelling.[6]
Safire graduated from the Bronx High School of Science, a specialized public high school in New York City. He attended S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University but dropped out after two years. He delivered the commencement address at Syracuse in 1978 and 1990, and later became a trustee of the university.[7]
Death[edit]
Safire died from pancreatic cancer at a hospice in Rockville, Maryland, on September 27, 2009, aged 79. He was survived by his wife, Helene Belmar (née Julius); their children, Mark and Annabel; and granddaughter, Lily.[1][23]
The following is a partial list of his writings:
Language
Novels
Edited collections
Political works
Speeches