Background
Jackson was born on March 16, 1902, in New York City, the son of Carl David Jackson, a marble importer, and Eda F. Strauss.
Jackson was born on March 16, 1902, in New York City, the son of Carl David Jackson, a marble importer, and Eda F. Strauss.
Part of Jackson's elementary schooling was in Switzerland. After attending the Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania (1915-1920), he entered Princeton University, where he majored in French and literature, and rowed on the crew. Jackson graduated with the B. A. in 1924.
His father's death in 1924 kept Jackson from carrying out his intention to teach French. He took over the family business, which failed during the Great Depression. In 1931, Jackson offered his talent and enthusiasm to Henry R. Luce, head of the fledgling news weekly Time. Granting that he had no experience in journalism, he believed that he could be "a worthwhile assistant" to Luce, who was impressed enough to hire him. Jackson was connected with the Luce publishing organization for the rest of his life. Soon after the start of Life in late 1936, Jackson was named its general manager (1937). His exuberant personality and his skill at development and promotion brought him election to the vice-presidency of Time, Inc. , in 1940. Five years later, after service in World War II, Jackson was made managing director of Time-Life International, in charge of all the company's news collection and publishing activities outside the continental United States.
In 1949, Jackson was named publisher of Fortune. From vice-president in charge of general management in 1954, he moved in 1959 to the office of administrative vice-president, from which he supervised the varied publishing efforts of Time-Life International, Fortune, and two new magazines, Architectural Forum and House and Home. His last official post was publisher of Life, which he held from 1960 until his death. Jackson's many posts in the Luce empire reflected his frequent leaves of absence to devote himself to public service. He organized the Council for Democracy (1940), to counter isolationist opinion, and then went on a special mission to Turkey for the State Department and the Bureau of Economic Warfare (1942).
Holding the position of special assistant American ambassador, his purpose was to retain access to Turkish chrome, although the American contract with the Turkish government had expired and German agents had moved in. Jackson was remarkably resourceful in offsetting the Nazis' efforts to monopolize the greatly needed chrome. Jackson had barely completed his Turkish assignment when, in 1943, he went to Allied headquarters for North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, for the Office of War Information. As deputy chief of the Psychological Warfare Branch, he was associated with Brigadier General Robert A. McClure, intelligence officer on the staff of Lieutenant General Dwight D. Eisenhower. McClure took Jackson with him to London early in 1944, to help organize the Psychological Warfare Division (PWD) of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, preparatory to the invasion of France.
For his contributions Jackson was presented with the France's Legion of Honor. Jackson returned to Time, Inc. , in 1945. Six years later he became president of the National Committee for a Free Europe and again went to Europe, to establish radio broadcasting to Czechoslovakia and other Iron Curtain countries. As a consequence of their wartime contacts, Jackson became an influential adviser in Eisenhower's 1952 campaign for the presidency, writing speeches and recommending strategies. Jackson was special assistant to the president in 1953-1954 and accompanied him to the Bermuda three-power and Berlin four-power conferences. He had a major part in the preparation of Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" address to the United Nations (UN) in 1953, and later he prepared White House notes for Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev's visit. Even after returning to Time, he was a member of the American delegation to the UN in 1954.
He was also an organizer of the International Executive Service Corps, which sought to show businessmen that both international affairs and trade held opportunities for them if they informed themselves on international policies and activities. Jackson's managerial duties left little time for writing, but he did prepare articles occasionally on his overseas trips: an example is "Bold Outpost Off China (Quemoy), " which appeared in Life, November 2, 1962. Jackson was also involved in civic, social, educational, and musical causes and organizations. He served on the boards of the Metropolitan Opera Association, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Boston Symphony, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the United Negro College Fund, and Project Hope. Jackson died in New York City on September 18, 1964.
Tall, handsome, buoyant, and devoted to precise use of words to reflect clear thinking, Jackson relished life and shared his enjoyment with those around him.
Jackson married Grace Bristed on September 12, 1931.
