This Day in Bonaventure History
By Joe Pinter, News Editor, @JPinter93
September 24, 1958
Jim Bishop was born in Jersey City, N.J., in 1907. Even though he loved writing as a child, he was not a good student. He struggled until he dropped out of school after eighth grade. While he went from job to job, his family was falling apart because his dad left. He would end up living with his maternal grandmother.
Finally, in 1929, Bishop’s father found him a steady job as a copyboy at the New York Daily News. While at the Daily News, he met a writer: Mark Hellinger. Hellinger would offer Bishop a new job reporting murders and writing feature articles at the Daily Mirror.
From there, Bishop was offered an editorial position at Collier’s in 1943. As part of his new job, he would edit for writers such as Ernest Hemingway.
During this time, Hellinger had become a Hollywood film producer. Right before he died, Hellinger offered Bishop a job in Hollywood as a writer.
In 1954, Bishop wrote a book titled, The Day Lincoln Was Shot. This would bring national recognition to Bishop.
Bishop gave a speech at a journalism conference at St. Bonaventure University, which ultimately turned into an honorary doctorate degree from the university. It was this conference that began Bishop’s strong bond with Bonaventure. He would later donate the manuscripts of some of his books to the school.
Shortly after he published The Day Lincoln Was Shot, Bishop was asked to write a syndicated column that would become a regular in several hundred newspapers. He was even asked by every president from Eisenhower to Johnson to write about them. He would continue as a columnist until he retired in 1983.
Some of his other notable works include: A Day in the Life of President Kennedy (written ten days before he was assassinated), The Day Kennedy was Shot, The Day Christ Died and The Day Christ was Born.
It was on this day that Bishop wrote one of his most famous columns, titled, “The Cure Was Dramatic.” This column was largely about Dr. Alfred Adler, the founder of the school of individual psychology.
Bishop died in Florida in 1987 at the age of 80.
