Austin H. Kiplinger was an American journalist and businessman.
Background
He was the son of W. M. Kiplinger, the founder of Kiplinger Washington Editors, publishers of The Kiplinger Letters and Kiplinger"s Personal Finance Magazine. The son of W. M. Kiplinger, Kiplinger was born in Washington, District of Columbia He grew up there, attending Western High School.
Education
AB, Cornell University, 1939. Postgraduate, Harvard University, 1940. Doctor of Laws (honorary), Union College, 1977.
DAM (honorary), Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, 1980. Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), Bryant College, 1982. Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), St. Mary's College, 1986.
Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), Ohio State University, 1988.
Career
In 1918. While attending Cornell University, he worked as the Cornell campus stringer for the Ithaca Journal and wrote stories about the 1936 Presidential Election that were picked up by the Associated Press. The couple shared two sons. Mary Louise died in 2007 and he died on 20 November 2015 in Rockville aged 97.
Kiplinger embarked on journalism full-time in 1940 with the San Francisco Chronicle.
He assisted his father with writing the 1942 book Washington is Like That. Following a stint in the United States Navy during World World War II, he helped his father found the publication now known as Kiplinger"s Personal Finance, first published in 1947, before relocating to Chicago in 1948 to work as a columnist for the Chicago Journal of Commerce and political newscaster for networks American Broadcasting Company and National Broadcasting Company. In 1956, he returned to Kiplinger Washington Editors.
In 1961, he succeeded his father as editor-in-chief of the Kiplinger Letters and Changing Times. In addition to his journalism career, Kiplinger followed his father’s lead as a collector of Washingtoniana—historical prints and photographs depicting the history of Washington, District of Columbia He championed the creation of a city museum for the District of Columbia.
The library at the Historical Society of Washington, District of Columbia is named in his honor.
In 2011 the 5000-piece Kiplinger Washington Collection was pledged to several Washington area museums, with most of it (4,000 graphic works) going to the Historical Society and other portions going to Mount Vernon, the National Portrait Gallery and President Lincoln"s Cottage at Soldiers Home. Kiplinger is chairman emeritus of the Cornell University Board of Trustees and a trustee or past trustee of the Tudor Place Foundation, the National Symphony Orchestra, the National Press Foundation, Washington International Horse Show and Federal City Council, among other civic commitments. Long active in farmland preservation, he was the first Montgomery County, Maryland, landowner, in 1989, to put most of his land into a new county easement program, under which development rights were sold to the county and property taxes reduced.
President Juvenile Protective Association Chicago, 1955-1956, Tudor Place Foundation, since 1990. Chairman Mayor's Advisory Committee on Youth Welfare, Chicago, 1956, Washington International Horse Show, since 1988. Vice chairman National Capital Health and Welfare Council, 1960-1967.
Chairman Federal City Council, since 1990. Trustee Landon School, 1960-1963, Cornell University, 1960-1989, trustee emeritus, since 1989, chairman board trustees, 1984-1989, chairman university council, 1965-1968. Trustee Greater Washington Education Telecomms.
Association, 1967-1977, Washington Journalism Center, since 1967, Mount Vernon College, 1990-1991. President National Symphony Orchestra Association, 1977-1980. Member Telluride Association, Association Radio and television News Analysts, Society Professor Journalists (Hall of Fame 1989), Phi Beta Kappa, Delta Upsilon.
Clubs: Metropolitan, National Press, Alibi, Alfalfa, Overseas Writers (Washington). Commonwealth (Chicago). Cornell (New York ); Potomac Hunt, Chevy Chase.
Connections
Married Mary Louise Cobb, December 11, 1944. Children: Todd Lawrence, Knight Austin.