Father of Ben Bradlee Jr.Benjamin Crowninshield "Ben" Bradlee is vice-president at large of the Washington Post. Born in Boston, Bradlee attended Harvard College. In 1942, he became a communications officer for the Office of Naval Intelligence and fought in thirteen battles during World War II. Bradlee became executive editor of the Washington Post in 1968, a position he held until 1991. During this time, Bradlee oversaw the Post’s award-winning coverage of the Watergate affair and the publication of the Pentagon Papers. In 2013, Bradlee was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Bradlee and his wife, journalist Sally Quinn, live in Washington, DC.also publishes under the name Ben Bradlee
After service in the Navy during WW2, he began a career in journalism. From 1965 to 1991 he was Managing Editor and then Executive Editor of the Washington Post - a period highlighted by the papers exposure of the Watergate scandal.
He was a friend (and neighbor) of John F. Kennedy in Washington before Kennedy was president.
He and Sally Quinn met when she was a reporter at the Post. Although he was much older, she began sending him anonymous love notes. After she had left the Post, they lived together for some years - in the Watergate building. He told a reporter in 1973 that only way they would get married would be -- if a Polish pope was elected! When this "absurd" idea came true, they got married four days later.
Children: Ben Bradlee Jr. , with Jean; Dominic ("Dino") and Marina, with Antoinette; Quinn, with Sally Quinn.
Is fluent in French.
(April 19, 2005) Bradlee and wife Sally Quinn were "roasted" by the American Newswomens Club in Washington D.C. In attendance were Bob Woodward and Elsa Walsh, James Carville and Mary Matalin , Chris Matthews and Kathleen Matthews , George Stephanopoulos and Alexandra Wentworth , and Richard Cohen , Al Hunt , and Judy Woodruff. Bradlee responded to the roast with, "What an honor to be roasted by such a distinguished group of hacks. If you werent on television, no one would have ever heard of any of you, except for Woodward!"
Father of son, Josiah Quinn Crowninshield Bradlee (born in 1982) with Sally Quinn; Father-in-law of Pary Anbaz-Williamson (born in 1977) both of Washington D.C.
Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 by President Barack Obama.
Died one day after his 36th wedding anniversary with Sally Quinn.
