Heywood Broun

Heywood Broun – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

A full portrait of Heywood Broun (1888–1939), the American journalist, columnist, critic, and labor activist. Explore his early life, journalistic philosophy, major works, social influence, and enduring legacy.

Introduction

Heywood Campbell Broun Jr. (December 7, 1888 – December 18, 1939) was a prominent American journalist, columnist, critic, and social advocate. Widely known for his impassioned writing in defense of the underdog and his efforts to improve conditions for journalists, Broun left a lasting mark on American journalism.

He believed that journalism should be not merely a mirror of society, but also a force for social justice. His voice—often blunt, witty, morally driven—continues to be cited in discussions about ethics, press freedom, and advocacy.

Early Life and Family

Heywood Broun was born on December 7, 1888, in Brooklyn, New York. Heywood C. Broun (a printer and merchant) and Henrietta Marie Brose Broun.

As a youth, Broun attended the Horace Mann School (for primary and secondary education) and later enrolled at Harvard University in 1906.

At Harvard, he forged lifelong friendships with figures like Walter Lippmann and John Reed, and began engaging in intellectual and political discussions.

Early Career in Journalism

After leaving Harvard, Broun began working for the New York Morning Telegraph, writing sports items and more general reporting assignments. New York Tribune in 1912, initially in the sports department, before branching out to drama criticism and feature writing.

By 1915, he was the drama critic for the Tribune, a role that put him in closer proximity to New York’s theater and literary circles.

In 1921, Broun moved to the New York World, where he began writing his famed column “It Seems to Me.”

Mature Career, Ideals & Activities

Columnist, Critic & Public Intellectual

Broun’s columns did not shy away from controversial issues. He used It Seems to Me to criticize social injustices, support free speech, and defend marginalized communities.

He was particularly vocal about cases such as Sacco and Vanzetti, arguing that the legal proceedings were biased and unjust.

His editorial independence was such that when his editors refused to publish or censored his views, he sometimes resigned or moved on to new platforms.

Broun also wrote for The Nation and later for The New Republic, contributing political commentary and essays.

Beyond journalism, he published books—novels, essay collections, and biographies. Some titles include The A.E.F. (1918), The Boy Grew Older (1922), Gandle Follows His Nose (1926), and Anthony Comstock: Roundsman of the Lord (co-written, 1927).

Labor Activism & The Newspaper Guild

One of Broun’s lasting legacies is his role in founding the American Newspaper Guild (later The Newspaper Guild, now NewsGuild-CWA) in 1933. He believed that reporters and editors, as workers, needed a collective voice and protections.

He served as the first president of the Guild from its inception until his death.

Political Engagement & Personal Life

Broun was politically active. In 1930, he ran (unsuccessfully) for the U.S. Congress on the Socialist ticket.

His personal life had its shifts:

• In 1917, he married Ruth Hale, a prominent feminist and founder of the Lucy Stone League (which advocated for women retaining their birth names).

• They had a son, Heywood Hale Broun, who later became a well-known broadcaster and writer.

• Broun and Hale divorced in 1933.

• In 1935, he married Maria Incoronata Fruscella Dooley (“Connie Madison”), a chorus girl in one of his theatrical ventures.

Late in life, Broun—previously known to be agnostic—converted to Roman Catholicism after engaging in spiritual discussions (reportedly influenced by Fulton Sheen).

Legacy & Influence

Heywood Broun’s influence is felt in several domains:

• Journalistic integrity & advocacy: He insisted that journalists could (and should) bear moral responsibility, especially in speaking for those without power.

• Labor rights in media: His leadership in forming the Newspaper Guild introduced ideas of collective bargaining and labor protections for journalists—ideas that endure in press unions today.

• Recognition: In his honor, the NewsGuild-CWA presents the Heywood Broun Award annually to journalists whose work helps correct injustice.

• Posthumous honors: In 1970, Broun was awarded the J. G. Taylor Spink Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (for outstanding sports journalism).

• Cultural memory: He remains associated with the Algonquin Round Table (a circle of writers, critics, and wits in 1920s Manhattan), where he interacted with Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, Alexander Woollcott, and others.

• Writings still read: His collections of essays, critiques, and novels continue to be anthologized and studied for their blend of literary flair and social conscience.

Personality, Style & Beliefs

Broun was known for:

• Courage & moral clarity: He often supported unpopular causes and questioned authority, even at personal cost.

• Wit and candor: His writing style could be sharp, ironic, and self-deprecating. He often used humor to disarm while making serious points.

• Championing the underdog: In column and public life, he consistently criticized inequality, injustice, and suppression of speech.

• Complex faith journey: His late-life conversion suggests a personal grappling with belief, identity, and meaning.

• Reluctance toward extremes: Although progressive, he often preferred reason over ideological zeal; he sometimes criticized overreach from all sides.

Famous Quotes

Here are some memorable lines credited to Broun:

“Posterity is as likely to be wrong as anybody else.”

“I’d rather be right than Roosevelt.” (Used in his political campaign)

“Nobody talks so constantly about God as those who insist that there is no God.” (Reflecting on theologians and skeptics alike)

“It is not a good rule that you must always hide your cruelty to be good.” (From his essays)

These quotes reflect his skepticism, moral urgency, and capacity to provoke reflection on belief, power, and history.

Lessons from Heywood Broun

1. Journalism with conscience matters. Broun’s life shows that being a journalist isn’t neutral; one can—and perhaps must—use the platform to illuminate injustice.

2. Labor rights in “white collar” professions. His belief in unionizing media workers underscores that intellectual labor also requires protection and dignity.

3. Courage to dissent. He often risked reprisals to speak truth to power—something modern journalists still wrestle with.

4. The paradox of belief. His shift from agnostic to convert illustrates that public intellectuals may wrestle with faith privately—and publicly.

5. Legacy is built by integrity, not applause. Although he died relatively young, his reputation endures because he remained consistent to conviction, even when popular opinion moved otherwise.

Conclusion

Heywood Broun was more than a columnist or critic—he was a voice with moral purpose. In an era of rising industrial power, political conflict, and media consolidation, he stood for the idea that journalism should champion truth, fairness, and the vulnerable.

His founding of the Newspaper Guild, his unflinching commentary, and his literary contributions all testify to a belief that the pen is a tool not only of record but of repair. Though his life was cut short by pneumonia at age 51, his influence lives on in awards named for him, in press advocacy, and in every journalist who believes that writing matters.