Benjamin Fine

Benjamin Fine (1905–1975) was an American journalist and author. He worked at The New York Times from 1938 to 1958. Fine was born in Attleboro, Massachusetts, and died while on vacation in Puson, South Korea.

Benjamin Fine was born September 1, 1905 in [New York City] to Belarusian immigrants of Jewish descent, Charles and Rebecca Fine, and spent his youth in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It was Rhode Island where he began his college education, he received his bachelor's degree in 1928 from Rhode Island State College. In 1933 he received a Master of Science from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. His education continued at Columbia where, in 1935, he earned another master's degree and a Ph.D in 1941. Fine also held seven honorary degrees; they were bestowed by Bryant College, Rhode Island State College, Yeshiva University, and the University of Toledo.

Fine began a 20-year career at the New York Times in 1938, where he started as an education reporter. By 1941 he had been named education editor, a position he retained for 17 years. In 1944 his series of articles on the teaching of history in American high schools and colleges won the paper the Pulitzer Prize "for the most distinguished and meritorious public service rendered by an American newspaper during the year."

On September 4, 1957, while covering the attempt at desegregation at Little Rock Central High School, Fine famously sat down beside a lonely and scared Elizabeth Eckford and sympathetically said "don't let them see you cry." Fine was one of two whites at the scene that day who is said to have helped Eckford in some way. The other was Grace Lorch, the wife of a professor who helped her get on board a bus and get away.

During his tenure as editor at the Times, he was implicated by Winston Burdett's 1955 testimony about Communists in the media before the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee. Fine was subpoenaed by the subcommittee in November 1955. He testified in January 1956.

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