Statement of Appreciation for the many years of service of New York Times reporter and editor David Rosenbaum

The following statement was released Monday by Lucy A. Dalglish, executive director, and Scott Applewhite, chairman of the executive committee and an Associated Press photographer:

The steering committee and staff of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press are shocked and saddened by the tragic death of long-time steering committee member David Rosenbaum.

David, who was elected to the steering committee in January 1978, was one of our longest serving board members. He also served as chairman of the steering committee twice – in 1989 and 1998.

On December 22, 2005, David told us that he would be stepping down from his steering committee seat when he “retired” from the Times at the end of 2005. But, he said, “I remain intensely interested in the work of the Reporters Committee and may be free now to work on some of your projects if you need me.” We knew we would miss David as a steering committee member, but looked forward to working with him even more often as a volunteer as he and his wife, Ginny, enjoyed retirement.

David and Ginny have been uncommonly generous with their time and financial support for almost 30 years. David offered wise, and frequently frank, counsel on projects and initiatives at the Reporters Committee. America’s journalists are grateful to David for his leadership in protecting the First Amendment and the public’s right to know about the important workings of government and business.

We offer our condolences to Ginny, and the Rosenbaum children, Dorothy and Daniel.

The Reporters Committee is a non-profit organization that has provided free legal assistance to journalists since 1970.