DeWitt Wallace

DeWitt Wallace made a magazine.

He wanted it to be short. He read many long articles first. Then he made them shorter. He and his wife, Lila, started it together. It became very popular around the world. He also gave much money to help schools. He helped people learn arts and more. He even got a special prize from the president. He was a very busy man.

DeWitt Wallace was a man who made magazines.

He was born in Minnesota in 1889. He went to college at Macalester and Berkeley. Later, he worked for a company that made farm books. During World War I, he served in the Army. He was wounded in the war. He spent four months in a hospital in France. While he healed, he read many American magazines. This gave him a new idea. He wanted to make a magazine with many topics. He wanted the stories to be short and easy to read. He spent six months at a library to practice this. He made the articles much shorter. He and his wife, Lila, started Reader's Digest in 1922. It became a very popular magazine. DeWitt gave much money to help others. He gave money to his old college. He also started the Wallace Foundation. This group helps with schools and the arts. He even helped a museum in Virginia. In 1972, President Nixon gave him a special prize. It was the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He died in New York in 1981.

DeWitt Wallace was a famous American magazine publisher. He is best known for starting a magazine called Reader's Digest. This magazine became one of the most read monthly papers in America. He worked hard to make sure people could enjoy many different stories. His work helped people learn about many topics in a quick way.

Wallace had a very specific way of working. He wanted to create a magazine with many subjects. He wanted each story to be abridged, which means made shorter. He spent many hours at the Minneapolis Public Library to practice this. He read long articles and made them easy to read. This way, people could learn a lot in a short time. He and his wife, Lila Bell Wallace, sent the magazine through the mail.

His journey to becoming a publisher started a long time ago. He was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on November 12, 1889. He went to Macalester College and the University of California, Berkeley. During World War I, he served in the United States Army. He was wounded and stayed in a French hospital for four months. While he healed, he read many magazines. This time in the hospital helped him form his big idea.

Wallace achieved many great things during his life. He and Lila married on October 15, 1921. They published the first issue of Reader's Digest on February 5, 1922. He was a supporter of the Republican Party and Richard Nixon. In 1972, President Nixon gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He was also put in the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 1980. He died at his home in Mount Kisco, New York, on March 30, 1981.

DeWitt Wallace also used his money to help many people. He was a philanthropist, which is a person who gives money to help others. He gave much of his fortune to Macalester College. He also helped start the Wallace Foundation to support schools and the arts. He funded the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum in Virginia. His gift even helped restore the Periodical Room at the New York Public Library.

DeWitt Wallace was a prominent American magazine publisher. He is most famous for co-founding the magazine Reader's Digest. Along with his wife, Lila Bell Wallace, he created a publication that became one of the most widely circulated periodicals in the world. His work changed how people consumed information. He focused on providing a wide variety of interesting subjects in a way that was easy to read.

Wallace developed a specific method for creating his magazine. He wanted to provide articles on many different topics. However, he wanted these stories to be abridged. To abridge a text means to shorten it while keeping the main ideas. He practiced this skill for many hours. In the 1920s, he spent much time in the New York Public Library. He also spent six months researching at the Minneapolis Public Library. He would read long articles and condense them into shorter versions. This allowed readers to learn about many things quickly.

His journey toward publishing began with his early education and military service. Wallace was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on November 12, 1889. His father was a faculty member and later the president of Macalester College. Wallace attended the Mount Hermon School and later studied at Macalester College from 1907 to 1909. He also spent two years at the University of California, Berkeley. During World War I, Wallace enlisted in the United States Army. He was wounded during the war. He spent four months recovering in a hospital in France. During this recovery time, he spent his days reading American magazines. This experience helped shape his ideas for a new kind of publication.

In 1921, Wallace's personal and professional lives joined together. He showed his sample magazine to Lila Bell Acheson. She was the sister of his college friend, Barclay Acheson. Lila responded with great enthusiasm to his idea. The couple married on October 15, 1921. They decided to publish the magazine themselves. They used direct mail to market the publication to readers. The very first issue of Reader's Digest appeared on February 5, 1922. The magazine soon grew to reach a massive global audience.

Wallace was also known for his specific political views. He was a supporter of the Republican Party. He held strong anti-communist views. These beliefs were reflected in the content of Reader's Digest. He shared these views with other major publishers of the time, such as Henry Luce of Time and Life. Wallace and his wife were also significant supporters of Richard Nixon. During the 1968 presidential election, they gave Nixon $8,500 in cash donations. They also provided space in the magazine for Nixon to write articles. These actions helped support Nixon's presidential bid.

Beyond publishing, Wallace was a noted philanthropist. A philanthropist is someone who gives large amounts of money to help others. He donated much of his massive fortune to Macalester College. He and Lila also established foundations that are now known as The Wallace Foundation. This foundation supports education, the arts, and youth development. He also funded the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. His generosity extended to the New York Public Library. The Wallace Fund helped pay for the restoration of the DeWitt Wallace Periodical Room. This room holds unbound issues of 68 popular periodicals and 22 newspapers.

Wallace received several prestigious honors during his life. In 1966, he received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement. On January 28, 1972, President Richard Nixon presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1980, he was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame. Wallace died at his home in Mount Kisco, New York, on March 30, 1981. He and Lila did not have any children. His legacy lives on through his publications and the many institutions he supported with his wealth.