David Maraniss

David Maraniss ( ; born August 6, 1949) is an American award-winning journalist and author, currently serving as an associate editor for The Washington Post.

Maraniss is the author of numerous books, ranging from politics to sports. He has written books on Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi, Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, the 1960 Summer Olympics, and on U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

Maraniss and his wife Linda, married in 1969 and had two children; they live in Washington, D.C. and Madison, Wisconsin. His son, Andrew Maraniss is also an author and was on the New York Times bestseller list in 2015.

Career Maraniss began his career as reporter at The Capital Times in Madison, and later worked at the Trenton Times.

For The Washington Post, he won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 1993, for his "revealing articles on the life and political records" of Bill Clinton, then a presidential candidate. He was also assigned the job of biographer for their coverage of 2008 presidential candidate, Barack Obama.

Recognition

In 2022, Maraniss published his biography Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe, which received critical acclaim for its in-depth portrayal of the legendary athlete. The book was recognized as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for History in 2023. Continuing his involvement in journalism and academia, Maraniss returned to Vanderbilt University in the Spring of 2024 as a distinguished visiting professor, co-teaching courses on political biography and sports and society alongside his son, Andrew Maraniss. He also served as a member of the jury for the 2025 Plutarch Award, presented by the Biographers International Organization. In addition to his teaching and writing, Maraniss remains active in journalism, contributing articles to The Washington Post, including coverage of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.