Herbert Nipson, former Ebony editor, dies

CHICAGO, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Herbert Nipson, who spent almost 40 years with Ebony magazine, including 15 as its executive editor, has died, the Chicago-based publication says.

Linda Johnson Rice, chairwoman of Chicago-based Johnson Publishing, announced that Nipson, 95, died of natural causes Dec. 10, the Chicago Tribune reported. He was at his home in Albuquerque, N.M., where he spent his winters.

During his time with the magazine, Nipson reached out to a broader audience. While Ebony was founded as a magazine for urban blacks, Nipson included articles aimed at those in rural areas and expanded coverage of the arts, entertainment and sports.

"Nip, as we all knew him, was an extraordinary presence for as long as I can remember going to the Johnson Publishing Co. offices.," Rice, daughter of the company's founder, said. "He was a guiding force in shaping Ebony. His vision was essential to making the magazine what it is today."

Nipson grew up in Pennsylvania and majored in journalism at Penn State. He became the first black member of the journalism fraternity Sigma Delta Chi, now the Society of Professional Journalists, although his daughter, Maria Nipson, said he later found out he was admitted only because the group was unaware of his race.

After serving as an Army driving instructor during World War II, Nipson received a master's degree in creative writing at the University of Iowa. He joined Ebony in 1949.

Nipson collected art and served for many years as president of the board of the Southside Community Arts Center in Chicago.

In his last years, Nipson spent summers with his son in Cambridge, Mass., and winters in Albuquerque where his daughter lived.