Donald R. Dwight ’53

Don, who died on May 4, 2025, devoted his life to the newspaper business in New England and Minnesota.

Born in Holyoke, Mass., he graduated from Deerfield Academy before coming to Princeton. He majored in history and wrote his thesis on “Colonial Newspapers.” He was a member of Cottage Club and served as director of public relations for WPRU. He served two years in the Marine Corps after graduation, including one year in Japan, and then returned to Massachusetts to begin a newspaper career as a reporter for the Holyoke Transcript-Telegram. He stepped away from journalism to serve as commissioner of public works and then as lieutenant governor of Massachusetts but returned to journalism to serve as publisher of the Minneapolis Star and Minneapolis Tribune.

Returning to New England, he served as chairman of Newspapers of New England, a family company that published seven New England newspapers including the Concord Monitor, Holyoke Transcript-Telegram, Valley News, Greenfield Recorder, and the Monadnock Ledger. He moved to Palmetto Bluff, S.C., 16 years ago. He was a passionate advocate for integrity, respect, and fairness in his life and in journalism.

Don is survived by his wife, Nancy; his seven children; and 11 grandchildren.