| Summary: | Journalist William Raspberry was born in Okolona, Mississippi, on October 12, 1935. He earned a journalism degree from Indiana Central College and served two years as a public information officer with the U.S. Army before joining The Washington Post in 1962. He began as a teletypist and later wrote obituary notices before joining The Post's city desk as a reporter. After a stint as assistant editor, Raspberry took over the byline of the "Potomac Watch," a column concerning local issues. During his tenure, Raspberry molded the column to fit his own interests, making it an independent voice on national and international issues. Highly regarded by his peers, Raspberry was named "Journalist of the Year" in 1965 by The Capitol Press Club. He wrote columns twice a week for The Washington Post since 1966. In 1994, he won a Pulitzer Prize for "Distinguished Commentary." Raspberry passed away on July 17, 2012, at the age of 76.
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