JAMES BOYLAN

BOYLAN--James, died peacefully at his home Stonington, Connecticut on September 29, 2025. He was 97. Born and raised in Iowa, he attended Cornell College in Iowa and served in the U.S. Army in Japan. He moved to New York City and graduated from the Columbia School of Journalism in 1951. He worked for This Week magazine before joining the faculty of the Journalism school. In addition to teaching there, he was the founding editor of the Columbia Journalism Review in 1961. He stepped down from the editorship in 1969 in order to complete his doctorate in American history, also at Columbia. In 1979, he joined the journalism faculty of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he taught journalism and history until his retirement in 1991. In 1952, he married Elizabeth Wade, longtime editor and columnist at The New York Times and lead plaintiff in the landmark sex-discrimination lawsuit against that paper. They had two children, Richard of Holliston, Massachusetts and Benjamin of Burlington, Connecticut. In retirement, he continued to be active, writing many articles and books, as well as being editor and president of the local historical society. He was an avid tennis player and kayaker. Jim and Betsy travelled the world and divided their time between New York City and Stonington. He is survived by his sons as well as grandchildren Carole of Burlington, Connecticut, Jennifer of Barkhamstead, Connecticut, Mark of Newton, Massachusetts, Leah of Roslindale, Massachusetts, Anne of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, Christopher of Wolcott, Connecticut, four great-grandchildren and a sister, Mary Ann Bernhard of Orlando, Florida. He was preceded in death by his wife and his brothers Charles of Seattle, Washington and Donald of Long Lake, Minnesota.