Robert L. Breeden

Robert Lewis Breeden (June 20, 1925 – March 15, 2013) was an editor, publisher, senior executive at the National Geographic Society, and chairman of both the White House Historical Association and U.S. Capitol Historical Society.

Early life Breeden served in World War II in the U.S. Navy 70th Construction Battalion. Robert Lewis Breeden was born in Montgomery, West Virginia, on June 20, 1925. After the war, Breeden entered the West Virginia University Institute of Technology and graduated in 1949. He received a master's degree in journalism in 1952 from the University of Missouri, where he taught for three years. At a graduation ceremony he spoke with and was recruited by Gilbert H. Grosvenor, editor of the National Geographic magazine.

National Geographic

Breeden joined the National Geographic staff in 1955, and worked there for 36 years. Eventually becoming senior vice president, he managed six divisions and oversaw the publication and sale of more than 100 million books.

Historical societies First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy thanks Robert Breeden for his work on the White House Guidebook. Breeden was an assistant illustrations editor at National Geographic when he was tapped in 1961 by its president, Melville Bell Grosvenor, to produce the first official guidebook of the White House for the newly created White House Historical Society.

Breeden continued to oversee publications for the White House Historical Society and in 1996 became its CEO. In 1997, Breeden announced the launching of White House History, a new journal published by the White House Historical Association which continues publication to this day.

Breeden advised the U.S. Capitol Historical Society on its publications program from 1962 until his death in 2013. From 1991 to 1993 he was vice president of the organization, and from 1993 to 2000 he served as its chairman of the board.

In 2007, Breeden assisted in the acquisition and relaunching of the history magazine American Heritage, serving as its chairman for six years until his death in 2013.

Awards The board of directors of the Capitol Historical Society voted to present the first chairman's Fred Schwengel Award (named after the society's founder) to Breeden in 2012 in recognition of his many years of service to the society.