Skip to content
— CH. 1 · NEW ORLEANS ROOTS AND OXFORD DREAMS —

Walter Isaacson

~4 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
6 sections

  • Walter Seff Isaacson entered the world on the 20th of May 1952 in New Orleans. His father worked as an electrical and mechanical engineer while his mother Betty Lee ran a real estate brokerage business. The young boy attended Isidore Newman School where he served as student body president before joining the Telluride Association Summer Program at Deep Springs College. He later enrolled at Harvard University to study history and literature. Isaacson graduated from that institution in 1974 after leading the Signet Society and living in Lowell House. He then traveled across the Atlantic to Pembroke College at Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar. There he studied philosophy politics and economics earning first-class honours upon completion of his degree.

  • Isaacson began his journalism career writing for The Sunday Times in London followed by work with the New Orleans Times-Picayune. He joined Time magazine in 1978 serving as political correspondent national editor and editor of new media. In 1996 he became the fourteenth editor of the publication. Two years later he took over CNN as chairman and CEO replacing Tom Johnson. Only two months into this role he guided the network through the events of September 11. Critics questioned his outreach to Republican Party leaders on Capitol Hill regarding coverage fairness. Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting called his conduct pandering behavior that gave conservative politicians power over CNN. He announced his departure from CNN in January 2003 to become president of the Aspen Institute. Jim Walton replaced him as president of the cable news network.

  • The book Steve Jobs appeared on the 24th of October 2011 published by Simon & Schuster just weeks after the Apple founder died. It became an international best-seller breaking all records for sales of a biography. Isaacson conducted over forty interviews with Jobs over a two-year period up until shortly before his death. He also spoke with friends family members and business rivals of the entrepreneur. His biography of Leonardo da Vinci arrived on the 17th of October 2017 receiving positive reviews from critics. Paramount Pictures won a bidding war against Universal Pictures for film rights under a deal with Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way Productions. The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna Gene Editing and the Future of the Human Race debuted at number one on The New York Times nonfiction best-seller list for the week ending the 13th of March 2021. Publishers Weekly described it as a gripping account of great scientific advancement. His Elon Musk biography came out the 12th of September 2023 and was shortlisted for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award though its accuracy faced disputes.

  • Isaacson published The Innovators: How a Group of Inventors Hackers Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution in October 2014. This work explored key technological innovations prominent in the digital revolution including parallel developments of the computer and the Internet. It became a New York Times bestseller. Janet Maslin writing for that newspaper called Isaacson a kindred spirit to the visionaries he wrote about. He launched a podcast called Trailblazers with Dell Technologies in March 2017 focusing on technology effects on business. In 2018 he joined Amanpour & Company airing on PBS and CNN replacing The Charlie Rose Show. His course The Digital Revolution runs every spring at Tulane University featuring guest speakers like author Michael Lewis Kickstarter founder Perry Chen and billionaire businessman James Coulter.

  • Governor Kathleen Blanco appointed Isaacson vice chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority in October 2005. That board oversaw spending on recovery from Hurricane Katrina. President George W Bush named him chairman of the U.S.-Palestinian Partnership in December 2007 seeking economic opportunities in Palestinian territories. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made him vice-chair of Partners for a New Beginning encouraging private-sector investments in the Muslim world. He co-chaired the U.S.-Vietnamese Dialogue on Agent Orange which announced completion of dioxin containment projects in January 2008. President Obama appointed him chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors running Voice of America in 2009 until January 2012. He served as member of the U.S. Department of Defense Innovation Advisory Board and co-chair of the New Orleans Tricentennial Commission planning the city's 300th anniversary in 2018.

  • Isaacson became special professor of history at Tulane University after stepping down from the Aspen Institute in 2018. He teaches Law and U.S History every fall alongside his spring Digital Revolution course. The White House citation for his 2023 National Humanities Medal emphasized work bridging divides between science and humanities. His Steve Jobs biography earned him the 2012 Gerald Loeb Award. Time magazine selected him for its list of most influential people in 2012. He received the Jefferson Lecture titled The Intersection of the Humanities and the Sciences in 2014. Isaacson holds honorary degrees from Tufts University Cooper Union William & Mary Franklin University Switzerland and many other institutions including Colorado Mountain College where the Isaacson School of Media and Communications bears his name.

Continue Browsing

1952 births20th-century American biographers20th-century American journalists20th-century American male journalists20th-century American male writers21st-century American biographers21st-century American journalists21st-century American male journalistsAlumni of Pembroke College, OxfordAmerican historians of scienceAmerican magazine editorsAmerican male biographersAmerican nonprofit chief executivesAmerican Rhodes ScholarsAmerican technology journalistsGerald Loeb Award winners for Business BooksIsidore Newman School alumniJewish American historiansJewish American journalistsMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyPresidents of CNNThe Atlantic (magazine) peopleThe Harvard Lampoon alumniTime (magazine) peopleWriters from New Orleans

Common questions

When and where was Walter Isaacson born?

Walter Seff Isaacson entered the world on the 20th of May 1952 in New Orleans. His father worked as an electrical and mechanical engineer while his mother Betty Lee ran a real estate brokerage business.

What books did Walter Isaacson write about technology leaders?

The book Steve Jobs appeared on the 24th of October 2011 published by Simon & Schuster just weeks after the Apple founder died. The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna Gene Editing and the Future of the Human Race debuted at number one on The New York Times nonfiction best-seller list for the week ending the 13th of March 2021. His Elon Musk biography came out the 12th of September 2023 and was shortlisted for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award though its accuracy faced disputes.

How long did Walter Isaacson serve as chairman and CEO of CNN?

He took over CNN as chairman and CEO replacing Tom Johnson two years after becoming editor of Time magazine in 1996. He announced his departure from CNN in January 2003 to become president of the Aspen Institute.

Which government positions did Walter Isaacson hold under President Obama?

President Obama appointed him chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors running Voice of America in 2009 until January 2012. He served as member of the U.S. Department of Defense Innovation Advisory Board and co-chair of the New Orleans Tricentennial Commission planning the city's 300th anniversary in 2018.

What awards has Walter Isaacson received for his work?

His Steve Jobs biography earned him the 2012 Gerald Loeb Award. He received the Jefferson Lecture titled The Intersection of the Humanities and the Sciences in 2014. The White House citation for his 2023 National Humanities Medal emphasized work bridging divides between science and humanities.

See all questions about Walter Isaacson →