Victor K. McElheny, a pioneering science journalist and founder of the Knight Science Journalism Program (KSJ) at MIT, died on July 14 in Lexington, Massachusetts. He was 89.
A graduate of Harvard University, McElheny served in the U.S. Army for over a decade before launching a prolific journalism career that spanned more than 70 years. He reported for publications ranging from The Charlotte Observer to Science, and held editorial roles at major outlets including The Boston Globe, where he served as science editor for six years.
From 1973 to 1978, McElheny wrote one of the first dedicated technology columns in American newspapers for The New York Times. His rigorous reporting helped shape public understanding of the fast-evolving landscape of science and innovation.
Throughout his career, McElheny explored subjects ranging from climate change to gene editing. His reporting in the 1970s on emerging molecular biology techniques established him as a leading voice in the field and laid the foundation for his acclaimed 2003 biography, “Watson and DNA: Making a Scientific Revolution,” chronicling the life of Nobel laureate and friend James Watson. McElheny also wrote a biography of Polaroid co-founder Edwin Land, as well as “Drawing the Map of Life: Inside the Human Genome Project,” a deep dive into the historic effort to decode human DNA.
Though his reporting earned him national recognition, those who knew McElheny remember him equally for his mentorship and dedication to supporting the next generation of science journalists.
“Victor McElheny was a talented science journalist and author, but he was also—and this is how I knew him best—a steadfast and generous supporter of the profession,” Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and former director of the KSJ program, told LexObserver. “He served as founding director of KSJ for more than a decade and, even after he stepped down, continued to advocate for science as an essential part of the news and mentor young journalists.”
In 2019, McElheny and Blum partnered to launch the Victor K. McElheny Award, which honors exceptional regional journalism on science, technology, health, or the environment.
“When I came up with the idea of starting an award for local and regional science journalism, he promptly agreed to set up an endowment to fund it,” Blum said.
She emphasized the growth that the award has had since its founding.
“The Victor K. McElheny Award is now recognized nationally as one of the most important honors celebrating the remarkable work done in small markets—and it wouldn’t have happened without him,” Blum told LexObserver.
Reflecting on his lasting influence, Blum added: “We in science journalism owe him a great deal and he will be deeply missed.”