Edmund C. Arnold, typographer, educator, author and trailblazer, who elevated the importance of visual journalism, died Feb. 2 at Lewis-Gale Hospital in Roanoke, Va. He was 93.

During his career, Arnold rose to prominence as the ‘father of modern newspaper design,’ transforming newspapers across the United States and Canada by helping them adopt more modern and readable formats.

His byline seldom appeared in print, nor was his name on the masthead of a major newspaper, but he was a giant in journalism.

Arnold was head of the graphic arts department at the journalism school at Syracuse University from 1960 to 1975 and he literally wrote the textbook on modern newspaper design.

‘Dad understood that news design constituted a powerful tool to help people read a story,’ said Kathleen Loomis, Arnold’s daughter. ‘He didn’t change things to make them look pretty; he changed things to make it quick and easy for readers to read.’

A native of Bay City, Mich., he graduated in 1954 with a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University.

Arnold began his journalism career at the Frankenmuth (Michigan) News, where he became co-owner and editor. He also worked as picture editor of the Saginaw News and night state editor of the Lansing State Journal. He moved to New York City in 1954 to become editor of Linotype News, a publication of the Mergenthaler Linotype Company, which manufactured typesetting equipment.

As a newspaper consultant, he designed or redesigned more than 1,000 newspapers including the Chicago Tribune, The Christian Science Monitor, Newsday, The Boston Globe, National Observer, Today, Toronto Star, The Kansas City Star and many small weeklies.

Arnold introduced white space between unrelated elements and made modular layout a worldwide standard. He believed that newspapers with narrow columns and headlines in all capital letters were boring and difficult to read, according to a release from Loomis.

Modular layout is a method in which each article is designed as an individual package. The paper then becomes like a puzzle, with all of the pieces fitting together.

‘Practically every newspaper in the country adopted his style,’ Loomis said. ‘His teachings were so influential because they made sense.’

Arnold received the George Polk Memorial Award in 1957 for his contribution to American journalism through typographic design.

‘There was a time when every newspaper editor had studied under him or had taken one of his seminars.’ said Mark Record, Arnold’s grandson. ‘He influenced an entire generation of editors who took what he said to heart and spread his gospel.’

In addition to a successful newspaper career, Arnold was one of America’s foremost journalism educators.

In 1960 he joined the School of Journalism at SU, where he headed the graphic arts department. Almost unheard of in the academic world, he was named a full professor despite having no previous formal teaching experience and only a bachelor’s degree.

Loomis said after Arnold had taught the introductory graphic arts class for a week or two, he realized there were no good materials available for the class readings.

‘Dad thought there should be a modern text for introduction to graphics – so he wrote one,’ Loomis said.

‘Ink On Paper,’ written in 1963 and revised in 1972, became the standard introduction to graphic arts and was used at SU and many other journalism schools for decades.

‘Dr. Arnold was the most influential teacher I had in the journalism school,’ said Clay Richards, assistant director of Quinnipiac University’s Polling Institute. ‘As managing editor of The Daily Orange I was able to put his lessons into practice every day, essentially changing the D.O. layout from boring vertical to more artistic and colorful horizontal.’

Richards said ‘Ink On Paper’ and ‘Functional Newspaper Design’ are the only two School of Journalism textbooks he still has left in his library.

‘He ‘opened up’ the front page, using a smaller type short kicker headline over the bigger, full length main head to both help identify the story and provide white space to make the page less dull and gray,’ Richards said.

Arnold retired in 1983 but continued his work as a consultant to publications.

He wrote 27 books on typography, graphic arts and organizational publications, and served as a speaker and workshop leader for thousands of professional and educational groups. He conducted workshops in every U.S. state and Canadian province, as well as Latin America and Europe. He was named to the Journalism Hall of Fames in Virginia and Michigan.

Joan Deppa, professor of newspaper and visual interactive communications at the Newhouse School, said she got to know Arnold while teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va.

‘Having an office next to Ed was like taking a class with him,’ Deppa said. ‘He had a great booming voice and strong opinions.’

Deppa said Arnold’s ideas about design were similar to those of legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

‘Form follows function,’ Deppa said.

Arnold was honored by the Society for News Design with a lifetime achievement award in 2000. When describing the state of news design in an interview at the time he was honored, Arnold said:

‘I want to put on record that I’m not an old reprobate longing for a return of the good old days. I’m more of an old father who is disappointed that his kids are only reaching 98 percent of their potential and wants them to reach 101 percent. My message to young designers is this: Look kids, you can do better, but the only way to achieve your potential is to go back to – and understand – the basics. That sounds boring, but it’s reality.’

Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Viola, three children and five grandchildren.

‘Graphic arts was a required course for journalism students, and a course those of us who wanted to be hot-shot reporters and big-time editors, looked at initially as a waste of time,’ Richards said. ‘But Dr. Arnold brought layout alive, not to mention using his own rather flamboyant personality to make the subject interesting, as well as useful.’

Richards said every time he picks up a newspaper as he travels around the country he is reminded of Arnold’s influence in layout – or in a very few remaining examples – the lack of it.

‘He was just a wonderful man, Deppa said, ‘a larger than life man with a great moustache, a great sense of humor and a big, big heart.’

Published on February 10, 2007 at 12:00 pm