Former New York Times Publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Dies

Former New York Times publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, who guided the newspaper to unprecedented influence and profit during his three-decade tenure, died Saturday at his home in Southampton, N.Y., at the age of 86.

During his 34-year run as publisher, Sulzberger helped the Times navigate some of the most influential events in 20th-century journalism — everything from the Vietnam War and the publication of the Pentagon Papers, to key legal victories for freedom of the press.

Sulzberger, who went by the nickname "Punch," helped expand the Times to a national edition as it won 31 Pulitzer Prizes under his leadership.

 "Punch Sulzberger was a giant in the industry, a leader who fought to preserve the vital role of a free press in society and championed journalism executed at the highest level," said Associated Press President and CEO Gary Pruitt.

Sulzberger took over as publisher in 1963, when the Times had a weekday circulation of 714,000 and $100 million in annual revenue. By the time he turned over the publishing reigns in 1992 to his then 40-year-old son, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr., the newspaper had turned into a media conglomerate, owning newspapers, magazines, television and radio stations as well as online endeavors. It had revenues of $1.7 billion, and its circulation had expanded to 1.1 million, according to AP.

"Above all, he took the quality of the product up to an entirely new level," the late Katharine Graham, chairwoman of The Washington Post Co., said at the time Sulzberger retired as publisher.

Sulzberger remained chairman of The New York Times Co. after passing the role of publisher on to his son. He retired as chairman and chief executive of the company in 1997, when Sulzberger Jr. was named chairman. Sulzberger stayed on the Times Co. board of directors until 2002.

While Sulzberger might have transformed the New York Times during his tenure as publisher, his death comes at a time when print journalism is in a tailspin, and the industry is trying to navigate a world where people increasingly get their news online.