Pusey, Merlo J. (Merlo John), 1902-1985

Merlo John Pusey was born on February 3, 1902 in Woodruff, Utah. He received an A.B. in 1928 from the University of Utah. From 1922 to 1928 he worked as a reporter and assistant editor for the Desert News in Salt Lake City, Utah. He worked for the Washington Post as an editorial writer from 1928 to 1971, also serving as an associate editor from 1945 to 1971. He worked part-time as an instructor in journalism at George Washington University, from 1939 to 1942. In 1952 he won the Pulitzer Prize in Biography for his book, Charles Evans Hughes. In 1956 he published Eisenhower The President. He died on November 22, 1985 in Washington, D.C.

From the description of Pusey, Merlo John, 1902-1985 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10581888

Merlo J. Pusey (1902-1985) was a biographer and newspaper editor in Washington, D.C.

Merlo John Pusey was born on February 3, 1902, in Woodruff, Utah. He attended school at the Latter-Day Saint University in Salt Lake City where he was a member of the debate team and elected to the editorship of the school paper, the Gold and Blue. It was during this time at school that Pusey decided to pursue journalism as a career. After he graduated, he worked for the Deseret News as a proofreader, cub reporter, reporter on regular assignments, and assistant city editor. During this time he attended school at the University of Utah, where he majored in English and was awarded a B.A. degree with high honors. After graduation he moved to Washington, D.C. and in November of 1928 he obtained a position as editorial writer for The Washington Post. In 1946 he was promoted to associate editor of The Washington Post, a position he held until his retirement in 1971. Pusey was the author of several books, namely The Supreme Court Crisis, Charles Evans Hughes, and Big Government: Can We Control It?, as well as numerous other articles and publications. Pusey was a member of several organizations that were directed towards the advancement of public welfare. During the depression he filled a part-time position with the Senate Finance Committee. He married Dorothy Richards on September 5, 1928, and they had three sons together. Merlo Pusey died in 1985 at the age of eighty-three years old.

From the guide to the Merlo J. Pusey papers, bulk 1905-1975, approximately 1875-1985, (L. Tom Perry Special Collections)