Francis Newton “Fritz” Littlejohn ’29 died November 24, 2005, in his New York home. After graduation from Davidson, he played minor league baseball in Danville, Va. He then got a job as a sports reporter for The Charlotte Observer that lasted until 1937.
He went to the Associated Press and, as a sports reporter, interviewed baseball icon Babe Ruth and tennis great Bill Tilden. He then became news editor and later served in the Army Air Force 1942-43.
He was news supervisor at NBC Radio until 1952, then advanced to managing editor of CBS-TV News. He covered the political scene until 1972 and attended every nominating convention in that era.
While he was at CBS, his wife Edith Killian died. He went to ABC and was made events director. He met Ann, a writer whose work he edited. They married in 1962, but Fritz had no children from either marriage. While at ABC, Fritz’s job empowered him to make the inventive decision to carry the McCarthy hearings live.
Fritz retired from the Voice of America as deputy to director John Charles Daly. Surviving is his wife, Ann Gihuly Littlejohn, 349 E 49th St., New York, N.Y. 10017