Carrell Ray Jenkins (September 25, 1930–October 24, 2019) was an American journalist, columnist, and newspaper editor. He was a member of the Columbus Ledger's reporting team that won the 1955 Pulitzer Prize for public service. He also served as a press assistant to President Jimmy Carter during 1979-80.[1][2]
Early life and education
Jenkins was born on September 25, 1930, in Sylvester, Georgia, US to a family whose primary mode of livelihood was agriculture-related. He received his school education from Camilla High School. He attended the University of Georgia to earn a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1951. He also received a law degree from the Faulkner University in Montgomery in 1977.[1][3][4]
In 1978, Jenkins was appointed vice president and editor of the Montgomery Advertiser and Alabama Journal. In 1979, he resigned from that job to be a special assistant to President Jimmy Carter for press affairs. In 1981, Jenkins became a columnist and editor at The Baltimore Evening Sun.[1][3][4][2]
Personal life
Jenkins married Bettina Cirsovius, an immigrant from Germany, in 1956. Both had two sons and a daughter together.[1][3]
Retirement and death
After a career spanning over four decades, he finally retired from journalism in 1991. He died at the age of 89 on October 24, 2019, in Baltimore. He had been suffering from congestive heart failure.[1][5][6]
