Newton N. Minow
Newton N. Minow | |
|---|---|
Minow in 2006 | |
| Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission | |
| In office March 2, 1961 – June 1, 1963 | |
| President | John F. Kennedy |
| Preceded by | Frederick Ford |
| Succeeded by | E. William Henry |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Newton Norman Minow January 17, 1926 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | May 6, 2023 (aged 97) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Josephine Baskin
(m. 1949; died 2022) |
| Children | 3, including Martha and Nell |
| Education | Northwestern University (BS, JD) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | |
| Years of service | 1944–1946 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit | 835th Signal Service Battalion |
| Battles/wars | |
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Newton Norman Minow (January 17, 1926 – May 6, 2023) was an American attorney who served as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. He is famous for his 1961 speech referring to television as a "vast wasteland". While still maintaining a law practice, Minow served as the honorary consul general of Singapore in Chicago, beginning in 2001.
Minow was active in Democratic Party politics. He was an attorney in private practice concerning telecommunications law and was active in many nonprofit, civic, and educational institutions. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 by Barack Obama, whom he had known since the start of Obama's legal career.