An Editorial for John Gilbert Winant
November 1947Dearest Reader,
Among the papers my mother saved was this editorial from the Concord Monitor, published on November 4, 1947, the day after John Gilbert Winant died. Unlike a news story reporting the events of the previous day, this editorial served as the newspaper’s reflection on the life of one of New Hampshire’s most respected public servants. The editors chose not to focus on the tragedy of his death. Instead, they asked readers to remember the man he had been.
The editorial speaks not only of Winant’s accomplishments but also of his character. It recalls his kindness, humility, and unwavering commitment to public service. It reminds readers that leadership is measured not simply by offices held or titles earned, but the way a person influences the lives of others. Even in mourning, the editors encouraged New Hampshire to remember the principles by which Winant lived rather than allowing the circumstances of his death to define his legacy.
Reading this editorial today, I am struck by the respect with which the Concord Monitor honored one of its own. It is easy to imagine the people of New Hampshire opening their morning newspaper, grieving the loss of a leader they had admired for decades, and finding not sensational headlines but a thoughtful tribute to a life of service. The editorial reflects both the esteem in which Winant was held and the values that New Hampshire believed were worthy of remembrance.
Newspapers are meant to be read and discarded, yet this one survived for nearly eighty years. Perhaps she admired John Gilbert Winant. Perhaps she simply believed that this editorial captured something important about the kind of leader he was. Whatever her reason, I am grateful she preserved it. In doing so, she passed along not only a piece of New Hampshire history but also a reminder that a person’s legacy is ultimately measured not by how their life ends, but by how they lived it.
Dr. Nancy Watson
Washington
Read More From Nancy
Wiring Splicing Champs
Sometimes the small clippings among my parents’ papers raise more questions than they answer. This is one of them. This small newspaper photograph of a sailor, James A. Morrow, has my mother’s handwritten date: March 23, 1943. The article itself is short and simple. It reports that a wire-splicing champion at an amphibious base in […]
Winant Asks Nation
As I sorted through my mother’s papers, I discovered that this was not the only newspaper clipping she had saved about John Gilbert Winant. There were several. That immediately made me wonder why she followed his life so closely. Winant was more than a public figure in New Hampshire. He was one of the state’s […]
Sergeant Young Writes of His Experiences
Among my mother’s papers, I found this small newspaper clipping about Sergeant Morris Young. In her handwriting, she noted the date, “March 10, 1945” I don’t know why she chose to save it, but it was clearly important enough that she kept it for many years. During World War II, local newspapers regularly published letters […]
