John Quinn dies; USA Today founding editor was 91
John Hanchette, left, and John Quinn work at USA Today in McLean, Va., in September 1982. Quinn, the founding editor at USA Today, has died in Rhode Island at age 91. Credit: AP
NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. — A founding editor at USA Today has died in Rhode Island at age 91.
John Quinn’s family says he died Tuesday of natural causes at Roberts Health Center. Quinn is survived by two adult children.
Quinn was a Rhode Island native. He began his career as a copy boy at The Providence Journal-Bulletin while he studied at Providence College. He worked his way up to managing editor before leaving to join Gannett in 1966.
USA Today was started in 1982. Quinn served as its editor for five years and became editor-in-chief in 1988. He remained at Gannett until he retired in 1990.
Quinn was inducted into the Rhode Island Journalism Hall of Fame that year.
He lived for many decades in Cocoa Beach, Florida.
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