29 Facts About Richard Stolley

Richard Brockway Stolley was an American journalist and magazine editor.

Richard Stolley is noted as the founding managing editor of People magazine and for acquiring the Zapruder film for Life magazine in 1963.

Richard Stolley subsequently held a number of roles at the magazine, including reporter, bureau chief, senior editor, and assistant managing editor.

Richard Stolley became the inaugural editor of People when it was launched in 1974.

Richard Stolley returned to Life in 1982 and eventually became editorial director across all Time Inc magazines.

Richard Stolley continued working for the company until his retirement in 2014.

Richard Stolley's father worked as a factory manager; his mother was employed as an English teacher.

Richard Stolley subsequently joined the United States Navy before studying at Northwestern University.

Richard Stolley graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1952, before obtaining a master's degree in journalism the following year.

Richard Stolley first worked for Life magazine, which he joined the same year after graduating.

Richard Stolley soon gained recognition as "one of the magazine's best young editorial managers".

Richard Stolley was an editor at Life and reported on the civil rights movement and the Space Race throughout the 1960s.

Richard Stolley was serving as its Los Angeles bureau chief when John F Kennedy was assassinated.

Richard Stolley promptly flew to Dallas and was the first reporter to get in touch with Abraham Zapruder, who captured the shooting in Dealey Plaza on his film.

Eager to obtain the footage, Richard Stolley initially wanted to go to Zapruder's house on the night after the assassination to see the film.

Richard Stolley said this was the "smartest decision I ever made", and "quite possibly the most important of my career".

Richard Stolley arrived an hour ahead of the agreed-upon meeting time to pre-empt other reporters.

Richard Stolley offered $50,000 for print publication rights and raised the amount to $150,000 for all rights one week later.

Richard Stolley later recounted that the Zapruder film was the "single most dramatic moment" in his career as a journalist.

Life halted its weekly run in 1972, which Richard Stolley called a "devastating blow".

Richard Stolley stated that the "biggest mistake" of his career came in 1977, when he spurned the opportunity to put Elvis Presley on the front cover after his death.

Richard Stolley went back to Life in 1982, serving first as its managing editor before becoming editorial director of Time Inc.

Richard Stolley held the post until his retirement in 1993, but continued to serve as a company adviser.

Richard Stolley replaced David Nuell as executive producer of Extra from 1995 to 1996.

Richard Stolley was inducted into the American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame in April 1996.

In 2000, Richard Stolley edited Life: Century of Change: America in Pictures.

Richard Stolley had been "pinned" to him while she was a guest editor at Mademoiselle.

Richard Stolley died on June 16,2021, at a hospital in Evanston, Illinois.

Richard Stolley was 92, and suffered from a heart ailment prior to his death.