Stanford Lipsey

Stanford Lipsey was an American journalist, photographer, and newspaper publisher. He got his first experience in the newspaper business as a photographer for his high school newspaper, the Central High Register. Later, he was the photography editor for his university yearbook, at the University of Michigan – where he graduated in 1948. During the Korean War, he was editor of the Air Pulse newspaper at Offutt Air Force Base, while serving in the Air Force Reserve.

In 1953, Lipsey began working as a photographer and writer at the Omaha Sun, a chain of weekly newspapers that comprised seven paid and five free newspapers in Omaha, Nebraska. A few years later, he bought the Omaha Sun. In 1969, he sold the struggling newspapers to Berkshire Hathaway, led by Warren Buffett, but remained there, as president and publisher. In 1972, the staff of the Sun Newspapers won the John Hancock Award for Excellence in Business Writing, and the Pulitzer Prize for Local Investigative Specialized Reporting, for their series of stories about Boys Town, which led to reforms of the organization.

When Buffett purchased The Buffalo Evening News in 1977, he requested Lipsey to head it up. During Lipsey’s career at The News, it became the highest penetration newspaper in the country, and the most profitable per capita. After serving over 30 years as publisher of the Buffalo News, Lipsey was named as publisher emeritus in 2012.

Lipsey’s photography was also exhibited at 13 museum and gallery exhibitions, including: the University of Michigan, James and Anne Duderstadt Center Art Gallery, and the Burchfield Penney Art Center. The exhibit, titled "Affinity of Form" featured 48 large-scale images that had been published by powerHouse books.

At the age of 89 years old, Lipsey passed away in 2016. After learning of his passing, U.S. Senator, Charles Schumer, referred to Lipsey as "Buffalos true guardian angel" and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo stated, "Today, we lost a great New Yorker, but as we mourn his loss, we can find comfort that he was able to see his dream for Buffalo in action. There was no better friend to Buffalo than Stan Lipsey, and for that, we will always be grateful."

Lipsey’s death was memorialized in a tribute to his life and contributions to the community by members of the New York State Senate in a NY Senate Resolution: "Mourning the death of Stanford Lipsey, veteran, philanthropist, Pulitzer Prize acclaimed publisher and former publisher of the Buffalo News."

Lipsey also established a Charitable Remainder Trust, and upon his death, the proceeds were paid to the Jewish Federation of Omaha, for the benefit of The Jewish Press. The Foundation used the funds to establish the Stanford Lipsey Jewish Press Endowment Fund.