Walter Pulliam Historic Newspaper Collection

Born in 1913, William Pulliam lived through the dramatic and dynamic years of the 20th century. From an early age, Pulliam knew that he would have a career in journalism. While still a junior in high school, Pulliam had become interested in reporting local and national news through his own small newspaper. Graduating from Old Knoxville High School in 1932, he chose to spend that summer working for the Knoxville Times.

In the fall of 1932, he began attending classes at the University of Tennessee where he worked as a student correspondent writing university-centered news for state newspapers. During his college education, he also served as editor for the Orange and White and as a copy editor for the Knoxville Journal. During these years, he reported on police, religion, politics and general news for the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Pulliam graduated from UT in 1936 majoring in history and English.

Volunteering for the US Army after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, he was trained as an infantry rifleman and sent to Oran, Algeria. His compositional skill and ability to type helped him acquire the position of clerk in the Allied Headquarters. While working as a clerk, he met foreign correspondent Stanley M. Swinton of Stars and Stripes newspaper. Using this connection, Pulliam was transferred to the Mediterranean section of the paper as a war correspondent enabling him to view World War II from the front lines. His time with Stars and Stripes allowed him to cross paths with several famous individuals including Ernie Pyle, Andy Rooney, Walter Cronkite, and cartoonist Bill Mauldin.

After the war, Pulliam personally met with Pope Pius XII and and Yugoslav Marshal Josip Broz Tito. Coming home from abroad, Pulliam found work with the Washington Post working first as a reporter and then as assistant city editor. Returning to East Tennessee in 1950, Pulliam took over publication of the Harriman Record changing it from a weekly to a daily publication. The Harriman Record became the only newspaper to publish the Watergate transcript in its entirety. Elected president by the Tennessee Press Association in 1965, he helped to start the Tennessee Newspaper Hall of Fame and was awarded the Tennessee Press Association's Award for Service a year later. Pulliam continued to write articles for regional newspapers until his death in March 2015.

Sources: http://alumnus.tennessee.edu/2013/on-the-record-world-war-ii-to-watergate/ https://www.rosefuneraltn.com/obituaries/Walter-Pulliam/#!/Obituary