JACK PAYTON

Diplomatic Editor, St. Petersburg Times

Born September 18, 1944 at New Orleans, Louisiana. Educated at primary and secondary schools in New Orleans and Miami, Florida. Attended college at Tulane University and obtained a Bachelors of Arts degree in 1966, majoring in English literature and philosophy.

Began journalism career in 1967 as general assignment reporter for United Press International (UPI) at New Orleans, Louisiana, specializing in covering federal courts. Transferred to UPI Foreign Desk in New York in early 1972 as desk editor.

Transferred to UPI Europe, Middle East, Africa desk in Brussels, Belgium in late 1972, and while based there traveled through West Africa reporting on the Sahel drought of 1973.

Transferred in September, 1973 to Tel Aviv as bureau chief for Israel. Directed coverage of 1973 Middle East war from Israeli side, including front line coverage in both Sinai and Golan Heights. After war, covered Henry Kissinger shuttle diplomacy missions in Middle East, Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974.

Transferred in February, 1976 to Rome, Italy as manager for Italy. While based in Italy, covered the following: rise of Red Brigades terrorism, deaths of popes Paul VI and John Paul I, election of John Paul II, accompanied pope on 12 overseas trips, including visits to Africa, Asia, Europe and North America, NATO and European Economic Community stories as well as summit conferences of seven Western nations. Also returned to Israel in 1978 for Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon, and in the fall of 1982, to Beirut, Lebanon to cover that year's Israeli invasion of Lebanon and subsequent fighting.

Transferred in 1983 to Washington D.C., as UPI foreign editor, supervising the news agency's international news reports and traveling extensively through Europe and the Soviet Union.

Left UPI in February of 1985 to become Foreign News Editor of St. Petersburg Times in St. Petersburg, Florida. Responsible for international news coverage, writing columns and overseeing a network of correspondents around the world. Also traveled to and wrote on Japan, India, Pakistan, Panama, Honduras, Australia, South Korea, Kong Kong and China.

Named Foreign Editor of St. Petersburg Times in August 1989, traveling to and writing about: Italy, East Germany, Israel, Egypt, South Africa, Canada, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq. Covered the Persian Gulf war in January, February and March of 1991 in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Transferred to St. Petersburg Times Washington D.C. bureau in July 1991 and named diplomatic editor, traveling and writing columns on foreign affairs.

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