Byron Darnton - Journalism Career

Journalism Career

Darnton was born November 8, 1897 in Adrian, Michigan . His interest in journalism began in his teens when he and his family visited his uncle Charles Darnton, a drama critic for Joseph Pulitzer's Evening World in New York, New York. After leaving high school in 1917, Darnton signed on with the American Expeditionary Force and served in World War I before returning to the United States and entering the University of Michigan where he joined the fraternity of Sigma Phi.

The Sandusky Herald in Sandusky, Ohio provided Darnton’s entry to the newspaper industry, followed by a stint at The Baltimore Sun. He also provided several short stories to The Smart Set magazine, then edited by H.L. Mencken. Mencken attempted to convince Darnton to shift his attention to writing fiction. Instead, he went on to write for the Philadelphia Bulletin and Philadelphia Evening Ledger, then in 1925 moved to the New York Post, where his work on the rewrite desk earned him the moniker "The All-American rewrite man." Then, after a period as the Associated Press city editor in New York, he joined the staff of the New York Times in 1934.