Edward S. Montgomery

Edward Samuel Montgomery (December 30, 1910 – April 6, 1992) was an American journalist who won the 1951 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting for writing a series of articles on tax fraud.

Biography

Montgomery was born in Fort Collins, Colorado. He graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno, (1934) with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. Upon his graduation, Montgomery was hired by the Nevada State Journal. He left the Journal two years later to pursue work in other media. Montgomery returned to Journalism in 1938, joining the Reno Evening Gazette. He first became an editor during the five–year stint in Reno. Montgomery served the Marine Corps (1942–45), then worked for The San Francisco Examiner until his retirement in 1975. During his stint with The Examiner, Montgomery became involved in two murder trials. He found the body of Stephanie Bryan in May 1955. Burton Abbott was later sentenced to death for her murder. That same year, Montgomery reported on Barbara Graham's execution. His coverage of the Graham case was adapted into the film I Want to Live! (1958). He died in San Francisco of pneumonia in 1992.

Personal

Montgomery was married to Helene Louise Per Lee (1914–2007), whom he had met in college. They had three children: Diana, Douglas and David.