William Walton

William Walton began his career as a journalist working for the Associated Press in the 1930s and was a combat correspondent during World War II. After the war he worked for Time-Life and was the Washington editor for New Republic magazine. In 1949 he turned to painting, opening a studio first in Washington, D.C., and later in New York City in 1975; he continued to paint in New York until the end of his life. Walton was the New York campaign coordinator for John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign in 1960 and remained a close friend of the Kennedys; he was an informal advisor on architecture to both President Kennedy and President Johnson, and to Mrs. Kennedy on the selection of art for the White House and historic preservation at Lafayette Square. Walton also served on the art advisory panel for the Federal Aviation Administration. He was the author of two books, one on the history of Washington and the other on the Civil War. He was a 1931 graduate of the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.