Lyons, Eugene, 1898-1985

Variant names

Hide Profile

American journalist and author; correspondent in the Soviet Union, 1928-1934; editor, Reader's Digest, 1946-1968; president, American Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia, 1951-1952.

From the description of Eugene Lyons papers, 1919-1981. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 754872158

Eugene Lyons (1898-1985) was Russian-born journalist and writer who was associated with Tass News Agency, American mercury, The pageant, and Reader's digest. A student of Soviet affairs, the U.S.S.R., and communism, Lyons wrote and lectured extensively on the Soviet system and world communism.

From the description of Eugene Lyons papers, 1933-1967. (University of Oregon Libraries). WorldCat record id: 18830762

Biographical Note

  • 1898, July 1: Born, Uzlian, Russia
  • 1907: Arrived in the United States
  • 1917 - 18 : Student, College City of New York
  • 1918: Private, U.S. Army
  • 1918 - 19 : Student, Columbia University
  • 1919: Naturalized as United States citizen
  • 1920: Employee, Erie Dispatch (Pennsylvania)
  • 1922: Employee, Boston Telegram
  • 1922 - 23 : Editor, Soviet Russia Pictorial
  • 1923 - 27 : Assistant Director, Tass Agency
  • 1927: Author, The Life and Death of Sacco and Vanzetti
  • 1928 - 1934 : United Press correspondent in the Soviet Union
  • 1934: Author, Six Soviet Plays
  • 1935: Author, Moscow Carousel
  • 1935 - 39 : Member, Ames and Norr Public Relations
  • 1937: Author, Assignment in Utopia
  • 1937: Editor, We Cover the World
  • 1939 - 1944 : Editor, The American Mercury
  • 1940: Author, Stalin, Czar of all the Russias
  • 1941: Author, The Red Decade
  • 1944 - 45 : Editor, Pageant
  • 1946 - 1968 : Editor, The Readers Digest
  • 1948: Author, Our Unknown Ex-President, a Portrait of Herbert Hoover
  • 1951 - 52 : President, American Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia
  • 1953: Author, Our Secret Allies: The Peoples of Russia
  • 1959: Author, The Herbert Hoover Story
  • 1964: Author, Herbert Hoover: a Biography
  • 1966: Author, David Sarnoff: a Biography
  • 1967: Author, Workers' Paradise Lost: 50 Years of Soviet Communism: a Balance Sheet
  • 1985, January 10: Died, New York City

From the guide to the Eugene Lyons Papers, 1919-1981, (Hoover Institution Archives)

Eugene Lyons has been a newspaperman, foreign correspondent, editor, radio commentator, and a prolific political writer. He has corresponded with many of the prominent people responsible for major historical events in the twentieth century, and has dedicated himself to a lifetime of studies of Soviet affairs, the U.S.S.R., and communism. At first sympathetic to the "communist experiment," Lyons later turned fervently against it. He has written and lectured extensively on the Soviet system and world communism.

Lyons was born in Uzlain, Russia, on July 1, 1898, to Nathan and Minnie (Privin) Lyons. In 1907 he came to the United States. He attended the College of the City of New York in 1916-17, and Columbia University in 1917. In 1918, he joined the U.S. Army.

His career as a journalist began in 1919 as a reporter and editor for several eastern papers. In 1924, he received a position with the Tass News Agency offices in New York as either an editor or assistant director, depending upon the reference work cited.

In 1928, he was hired as a foreign correspondent for United Press and was stationed in Moscow. During this assignment he became the first foreign reporter granted an interview with Joseph Stalin. His experiences during this period are related in his book, Assignment in Utopia, published late in 1937.

During the war years (1939-1944) Lyons was the editor for The American Mercury in New York. In 1945 he initiated and served as the first editor for The Pageant ; and in 1946, he was offered a post on the editorial staff of Reader's Digest where he remained until his retirement in 1968.

In his other activities, he helped found and served as the first president for the American Committee for the Liberation of Peoples of Russia (known later as the Radio Liberty Committee), was among the founding members and the second president (1939-1940) of the Overseas Press Club and was a member of the Dutch Treat Club. Lyons currently resides in New York.

From the guide to the Eugene Lyons papers, 1929-1964, (Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Robert Cooley Angell Papers, 1923-1971 Bentley Historical Library
creatorOf Goldman, Emma, 1869-1940. Collection of papers, 1909-1940. University of Michigan
referencedIn New Leader, Records, 1928-1960 Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
creatorOf Aldino Felicani Sacco-Vanzetti Collection Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square
referencedIn Gitlow, Benjamin, 1891-1965. Papers, 1910-1968. University of North Carolina, Charlotte, J. Murrey Atkins Library
creatorOf Lyons, Eugene, 1898-1985. Eugene Lyons papers, 1919-1981. Stanford University, Hoover Institution Library
referencedIn Stallings, Laurence, 1894-1968. Papers of Laurence Stallings [manuscript], 1927-1928. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Leon Trotsky exile papers, 1929-1940. Houghton Library
referencedIn John Mason Brown papers, 1922-1967. Houghton Library
creatorOf Lyons, Eugene, 1898-. Letter to Florence Lipkin. New York, NY. 1941 Sept. 12. University of Iowa Libraries
referencedIn Evelyn Scott Collection TXRC98-A5., 1894-1952 Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
creatorOf Yelensky, Boris. Boris Yelensky papers, 1939-1975. University of Michigan
referencedIn Boris Souvarine papers, 1915-1984 (inclusive), 1940-1984 (bulk). Houghton Library
creatorOf Malamuth, Charles, 1899-1965. Charles Malamuth Papers, ca. 1910-1965. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn Earl Browder Papers, 1879-1990 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
referencedIn Robert Cooley Angell Papers, 1923-1971 Bentley Historical Library
creatorOf Eugene Lyons Papers, 1919-1981 Hoover Institution Archives
referencedIn Ruth Fischer papers, 1925-1961 (inclusive) 1940-1961 (bulk) Houghton Library
referencedIn Charles Malamuth Papers, ca. 1910-1965. Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Lawrence E. Spivak Papers, 1917-1994, (bulk 1945-1983) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Garet Garrett papers, 1805-1938 (bulk 1900-1938) Houghton Library
creatorOf Lyons, Eugene, 1898-1985. Eugene Lyons papers, 1933-1967. University of Oregon Libraries
referencedIn De Seversky, Alexander P. (Alexander Procofieff), 1894-1974. Alexander P. De Seversky papers, 1939-1941. Library of Congress
referencedIn Price, Bronson, 1905-1978. Papers, 1934-1976. American Philosophical Society Library
creatorOf Eugene Lyons papers, 1929-1964 University of Oregon Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn New Leader records, 1928-1960. Churchill County Museum
creatorOf Witkin, Zara, 1907-1947. Zara Witkin papers, 1933-1937. Stanford University, Hoover Institution Library
referencedIn Zara Witkin papers, 1933-1937 Hoover Institution Archives
referencedIn Gannett, Lewis, 1891-1966. Papers, 1681-1966 (bulk 1900-1960) Houghton Library
creatorOf Henry Shapiro Papers, 1920-1992, (bulk 1931-1973) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Scott, Evelyn, 1893-1963. Evelyn Scott Collection, 1894-1952. Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
referencedIn Henry Shapiro Papers, 1920-1992, (bulk 1931-1973) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Angell, Robert Cooley, 1899-1984. person
associatedWith Browder, Earl, 1891-1973 person
correspondedWith Brown, John Mason, 1900-1969 person
associatedWith Budennyĭ, S. M. (Semen Mikhaĭlovich), 1883-1973. person
correspondedWith De Seversky, Alexander P. (Alexander Procofieff), 1894-1974. person
correspondedWith Fischer, Ruth, 1895- person
correspondedWith Gannett, Lewis, 1891-1966 person
correspondedWith Garrett, Garet, 1878-1954 person
correspondedWith Gitlow, Benjamin, 1891-1965. person
associatedWith Goldman, Emma, 1869-1940. person
associatedWith Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964. person
associatedWith Lipkin, Florence, person
associatedWith Malamuth, Charles, 1899-1965. person
associatedWith New leader (New York, N.Y. : 1924). corporateBody
associatedWith Price, Bronson, 1905-1978. person
associatedWith Sacco-Vanzetti Defense Committee. corporateBody
associatedWith Sarnoff, David, 1891-1971. person
associatedWith Scott, Evelyn, 1893-1963 person
associatedWith Shapiro, Henry, 1906-1991. person
correspondedWith Souvarine, Boris. person
associatedWith Spivak, Lawrence E. (Lawrence Edmund), 1900-1994. person
associatedWith Stalin, Joseph, 1879-1953. person
associatedWith Stallings, Laurence, 1894-1968. person
correspondedWith Trotsky, Leon, 1879-1940 person
associatedWith Witkin, Zara, 1907-1947. person
associatedWith Yelensky, Boris. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
Russia (Federation)
Soviet Union
Soviet Union.
United States
Soviet Union
Subject
Authors, American
Authors, American
Anti-communist movements
Anti-communist movements
Political campaigns
Communism
Communism History 20th century
Conservatism
Conservatives
Conservatives
Foreign correspondents
Foreign correspondents
Occupation
Journalists
Activity

Person

Birth 1898

Death 1985-01-07

Americans

English

Information

Permalink: http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w67376np

Ark ID: w67376np

SNAC ID: 55819868