Remembering Lewis H. Lapham: Influential Journalist and Editor of Harper’s Magazine

Remembering Lewis H. Lapham: A Voice of American Journalism

Lewis H. Lapham, the distinguished editor of Harper’s Magazine for nearly thirty years, passed away on Tuesday in Rome at the age of 89. His death was confirmed by his family. A long-time resident of Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Lapham had been living in Rome with his wife and other family members since January.

Born into a prominent shipping and banking family, Mr. Lapham’s lineage boasted notable figures, including a founder of Texaco and a former mayor of San Francisco. He became a respected journalist on the national stage, known for his incisive critiques of the inequities and moral contradictions within American life. His sharp commentaries on politics, warfare, and the affluent often drew scorn from conservative factions but earned him comparisons to the literary giants H.L. Mencken and Mark Twain from his admirers.

After spending a decade as a reporter and contributing writer, Lapham ascended to the role of managing editor at Harper’s from 1971 to 1975, later serving as editor-in-chief from 1976 to 1981 and again from 1983 until 2006. Under his leadership, the magazine became a unique blend of high culture and populist sentiment, featuring the literary works of celebrated authors like John Updike and George Saunders alongside critical discussions on pressing issues such as abortion rights, climate change, and the complexities of terrorism—often viewed through a progressive lens.

Politically, Mr. Lapham’s tenure at Harper’s was marked by a growing critique of both American domestic policies and foreign interventions. His columns were unflinching in their condemnation of President Bill Clinton as well as President George W. Bush, even advocating for the impeachment of Bush due to what he deemed deceptive tactics that led the nation into the Iraq War.

His final literary contribution, “Age of Folly: America Abandons Its Democracy” (2016), presented a collection of his columns that articulated his belief that Donald J. Trump’s election epitomized a long-standing decline in American democracy. He argued that this decline, exacerbated by successive Republican administrations, resulted in a dysfunctional plutocracy governed by the interests of the super-rich, for the super-rich.