Earl Ubell

Earl Ubell (June 21, 1926 – May 30, 2007) was an innovative science and health reporter, and editor primarily for the New York Herald Tribune and WCBS-TV from the late 1940s to the 1990s.

Early life

Ubell was born in Brooklyn, New York, the oldest of four sons of European immigrants. He spoke exclusively Yiddish until he entered school. He received his BA in physics as an A student from the City College of New York in 1948

Career

Early years at the New York Herald Tribune At 16, Ubell became a messenger at the New York Herald Tribune. He was soon promoted to the night secretary of the managing editor. He worked there through high school and college. When he returned from his service in the Navy during World War II, he was made a city reporter. With his background in science, that topic soon became his beat.

Science editor at New York Herald Tribune Ubell became science editor at the Tribune in 1953 Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, Weizmann Institute in Israel, and the Jackson Laboratory in Maine. Ubell earned the respect the scientists he covered, such as physicist Richard Feynman, who praised an article Ubell wrote about a talk given by Feynman on gravity, saying: "Usually science reporting is no damn good at all. But the last line — ah, there is a man who understands, and says it better than I can!"

Ubell's columns also appeared in the Los Angeles Times beginning in 1959. He worked at the Tribune until it merged with two other New York newspapers, triggering a long strike. The merger did not work and the papers ceased publication shortly after that.

Health and Science Editor at WCBS-TV Ubell became part of WCBS-TV's newscast team as health and science editor in 1966. He was also a weatherman at the station for part his tenure. Except for six years as news director at WNBC-TV, he worked at CBS until his retirement in 1995. He completed his career at WCBS-TV with a two-part series about his own struggles with Parkinson's disease. He also added a 5 p.m. newscast and renamed the newscasts NewsCenter 4. These changes successfully brought the newscast from the bottom to number one in the ratings and was picked up by the other NBC stations. While news director at WNBC-TV, Ubell continued his science writing for other outlets, including a yearlong series in The New York Times on medicine and health in 1972.

Promoting the profession of science writing Ubell was active in the National Association of Science Writers, an organization founded "to foster the dissemination of accurate information regarding science through all media normally devoted to informing the public" and served as president of the group. As scientific developments quickened in the late 20th century, members were concerned that science reporting would not live up to their standards and that science reporting would "drop to the level of police beat coverage", so they founded a separate educational foundation, the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing. Ubell was its first president.

Books Ubell wrote several science books for children with photographs by Arline Strong: The World of Push and Pull, 1964 The World of The Living, 1965 The World of Candle and Color, 1969

Ubell also wrote these books on health and living: Live Longer, Live Better, 1975 How to Save Your Life, 1976 Mother/Father/You: The Adult's Guide to Getting Along Great with Parents and In-Laws, with Carol Flax, 1980 Getting Your Way — the Nice Way: A Guide for Parents and Grown-up Children, with Carol Flax, 1982 You Can Fight Depression, 1989 Parade Family Health Companion: A Reassuring Guide to Dealing with Life's Day-to-Day Health Issues, with Randi Londer, 1996

Ubell was editor of: Encyclopedia of Russia and the Soviet Union, 1960

Other activities Ubell was active in promoting the arts, particularly in his home state of New Jersey.

Center For Modern Dance Education In 1962, Ubell and his wife, Shirley, founded the Center for Modern Dance Education in Hackensack, New Jersey. Earl Ubell served as chairman of the board and was involved in promotion and fundraising. Shirley Ubell served as artistic and executive director. The school continues to serve the northern New Jersey community.

Dance Notation Bureau Ubell's interest in dance led him to support the work of the Dance Notation Bureau, a foundation formed to record and preserve dance though the Labanotation system of notating movement. Ubell served on the board until 2001 and as chairman of the board from 1966 to 1985. Ubell guided the foundation to greater use of technology, including shepherding the development of an IBM Selectric typewriter print ball for Labanotation and the computerization of Labanotation.

Parkinson's Disease Foundation After being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease around 1995, Ubell became active at the Parkinson's Disease Foundation and served on its board of directors from 1996 to 2006, helping to stage several science news seminars to help disseminate news of disease science and research developments. Ubell also served as vice president of the Parkinson's Unity Walk, an organization whose goal is to raise awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research to find a cure. In 2008 an award in Ubell's honor was established to be given to a journalist for outstanding contributions to the public understanding of Parkinson's disease and related movement disorders.

Death Ubell died from the complications of Parkinson's on May 30, 2007, a month shy of his 81st birthday. A memorial was held at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism on July 31 of that year. The American Psychological Foundation's 1965 award for Distinguished Science Writing Emmy awards for NewsCenter 4 (as news director of WNBC-TV) 1974, 1975