George Pitts (journalist)

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George E. Pitts, Sr. (George Edward Pitts) was an American newspaper entertainment journalist and editor. He was born on September 22, 1925, in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, and died on May 14, 1987, in Washington, D.C. He is buried at Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

Early life and military service
At 17, Pitts joined the U.S. Army Aviation Cadet Corps in Pittsburgh and later served in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was honorably discharged on March 8, 1946, at Fort Meade, Maryland.

Journalism career
Pitts began his journalism career as a reporter and entertainment columnist for the Pittsburgh Courier, where he worked from 1953 to 1964. He was a strong civil rights advocate and used his writing to push against segregation in the entertainment world. He was known as a prolific jazz columnist, and Nat Hentoff praised him in the inaugural issue of Jazz Review, noting Pitts as one of the few serious jazz writers in the African American press.

After the Pittsburgh Courier, Pitts worked as a reporter for the Chicago American and as managing editor of the Chicago Courier.

Civil service
In 1965, as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, Pitts was appointed Regional Civil Rights Coordinator for the Great Lakes Region of the Office of Economic Opportunity. He was based in Chicago, and the Great Lakes region included Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana.

Family
Pitts was married to Phyllis F. Pitts (1931–2008). They had children, including George Pitts Jr. (1951–2017) and Michael Kevin Pitts. His brother Ernie Pitts (1925–1970) played in the Canadian Football League and attended the University of Denver.

Legacy
George E. Pitts is remembered as an influential African American entertainment journalist and editor who supported civil rights through his writing and editorial work, highlighting Black artists and challenging segregation in the media.