Bill Ziff Sr.
Born
William Bernard Ziff

(1898-08-01)August 1, 1898
DiedDecember 20, 1953(1953-12-20) (aged 55)
NationalityAmerican
OccupationPublisher
Known forCo-founder of Ziff Davis Inc.
ChildrenBill Ziff Jr.

William Bernard Ziff Sr. (August 1, 1898 – December 20, 1953)[1] was an American publishing executive and author.

Ziff Davis Inc.

Ziff and Bernard G. Davis founded the magazine publisher Ziff Davis Inc. in 1927.[2] After his death, in 1953, his son, Bill Ziff Jr., succeeded him at Ziff Davis.[3]

Political views

Being of Jewish ancestry and motivated by the power of Nazi Germany during the 1930s, Ziff became one of the most prominent American endorsers of Revisionist Zionism. During 1935, he was persuaded by devotees of the Revisionist Zionist spokesman Ze'ev Jabotinsky to accept the presidency of the Zionist-Revisionists of America organization although he resigned after one year, being uncomfortable with his role as a Jewish organizational official. Ziff remained active with Zionist politics and caused controversy when he authored during 1938 a criticism of British policy in the Holy Land entitled The Rape of Palestine.[4] The British Foreign Office declared the book "violent and offensive" and monitored Ziff thereafter.[5][6]

Personal life

On July 25, 1923, he married Denea Fischer (1902–1993); together, they had one daughter and later divorced. Ziff married Amelia Mary Morton (1903–1980) with whom he had three children.[7]

References

  1. ^ "W. B. Ziff; 55, Publisher And Author, Dies". Chicago Tribune. December 21, 1953. Retrieved 2010-10-16. William Bernard Ziff, 55, a Chicagoan who built a magazine publishing empire and wrote several books, died yesterday in his hotel residence in...
  2. ^ "Ziff Davis Corporate Timeline". January 6, 2009. Archived from the original on December 15, 2006. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  3. ^ "William B. Ziff Jr., 76, Builder of Magazine Empire Dies". The New York Times. September 12, 2006. William B. Ziff Jr., a publishing executive who made publications like Car and Driver and PC Magazine must reading among hobbyists and computer enthusiasts, died Saturday at his home in Pawling, N.Y. He was 76.
  4. ^ The Rape Of Palestine By William B. Ziff ( 1938) (with Page Links For The Table Of Contents).
  5. ^ "Militant Zionism in America: The Rise and Impact of the Jabotinsky Movement in the United States, 1926-1948" by Rafael Medoff University Alabama Press; 1 edition (July 2, 2002) pp 39-40
  6. ^ The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies: "Unsung Hero of Holocaust Refugee Struggle Dies at 96" February 18, 2004
  7. ^ Hannan, Caryn (2008). Illinois Biographical Dictionary. State History Publications. p. 741. ISBN 9781878592606.


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