Though he first set out on a career as a Unitarian minister, Ludwell Denny spent the greater part of his life (1921-1970) as a journalist. He is best known for his long association (1928-1970) with the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain, serving as an editorial writer, columnist, and editor. Foreign affairs and their relation to United States foreign policy provided the major focus of Denny's activity as a journalist and served as the subject for his two books (published in 1928 and 1930).
Denny was born in Boonville, Indiana, on November 18, 1894, to Wallace N. and Alice (Pursley) Denny. He attended the University of Chicago and Meadville (Pennsylvania) Theological School. On completion of his religious studies in 1917, Denny served as a Unitarian minister in Rochester, New York. He remained there until 1921 when an interest in world affairs led him to abandon his ministry for the position of European correspondent with The Nation. He also contributed to a number of other periodicals, including The Freeman. In 1924 Denny joined the Federated Press as a news editor but soon switched to the United Press for a position as a diplomatic correspondent. He stayed with the United Press until his recruitment by the Scripps-Howard Newspaper Alliance in 1928, serving with that organization as: chief editorial writer, 1928-1932; associate editor, 1932-1935; editor of the Indianapolis Times (a Scripps-Howard paper), 1935-1939; columnist and foreign analyst, 1939-1950; foreign editor, 1951-1960; and editor emeritus, 1960-1970.
Though he dealt with domestic events and issues, it was foreign affairs which consistently attracted Denny's attention throughout his newspaper career. He was on the spot at a number of historic events, e.g. the Moscow Conference of Foreign Ministers, 1947, and the Hungarian revolt against Soviet domination, 1956. He also took an active part in the formulation of Scripps-Howard editorial policy and consulted with high public officials. Denny was the promoter of a Scripps-Howard editorial campaign in favor of ratification of the Kellogg-Briand Peace Pact, 1928, and played an active part in the formulation of the Stimson Doctrine, 1932, designed to curb further Japanese aggression in the Far East. In addition, Denny wrote two books on United States foreign policy: We Fight for Oil (1928) and America Conquers Britain: A Record of Economic War (1930). His achievements in journalism were formally recognized in 1953 with the Freedom Foundation Editorial Award and in 1959 with the Scripps-Howard Roy W. Howard Award.
Denny was married twice, first to Josephine Shyrock, November 16, 1917, and, after her death in 1950, to Dorothy Detzer, August 2, 1954. Denny died on October 12, 1970 in Monterey, California.
