Date of Birth: June 17, 1914
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
Date of Death: March 24, 1993
Biography
John Richard Hersey was an American writer and journalist, renowned for his contributions to New Journalism, a style of reportage that uses literary techniques. Born in Tientsin, China, to missionary parents, Hersey moved to the United States at the age of ten. He attended Yale University, where he was a member of the Skull and Bones society, and later went to the University of Cambridge as a Mellon Fellow. Hersey began his career as a journalist for Time magazine and later worked for Life and The New Yorker. His groundbreaking work, “Hiroshima,” published in 1946, is considered one of the earliest examples of narrative journalism. The book meticulously recounts the experiences of six survivors of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II. It had a profound impact on how Americans viewed the consequences of atomic warfare. Over his career, Hersey published more than a dozen books, including “A Bell for Adano,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1945. He also served as the Master of Pierson College at Yale University from 1965 to 1970. Hersey passed away in 1993, but his legacy endures through his influential works and contributions to journalism and literature.
5 Interesting Facts about John Hersey
1. John Hersey was one of the first Western journalists to visit Hiroshima after the atomic bomb was dropped.
2. He won the Pulitzer Prize for his novel “A Bell for Adano” in 1945.
3. Hersey was a member of the Yale secret society, Skull and Bones.
4. He served as a Master at Pierson College, Yale University, from 1965 to 1970.
5. Hersey was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously in 1993.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from John Hersey
1. “What has kept the world safe from the bomb since 1945 has not been deterrence, in my view, it has been memory.”
2. “Journalism allows its readers to witness history; fiction gives its readers an opportunity to live it.”
3. “Learning starts with failure; the first failure is the beginning of education.”
4. “The human mind is not a terribly logical or consistent place.”
5. “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
John Hersey’s highest net worth was estimated to be approximately $1 million at the peak of his career.
Children
John Hersey had five children: Martin Hersey, Ann Hersey, John Hersey Jr., Brook Hersey, and Baird Hersey.
Relevant Links
1. [John Hersey – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hersey
2. [The New Yorker: Hiroshima](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1946/08/31/hiroshima
3. [Pulitzer Prize: A Bell for Adano](https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/john-hersey
4. [John Hersey Papers at Yale University](https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/12/resources/4468
