DeVan L. "Van" Shumway (22 September 1930 – 23 April 2008) was an American publisher and aide to President Richard M. Nixon.[1] He served as spokesperson for Nixon's Committee to Re-Elect the President and was a staunch defender of Nixon through the Watergate scandal.

Life and career

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Shumway was a native of Blanding, Utah. He attended the University of Utah and served in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. He then took a position at United Press International. Following his work on the unsuccessful re-election campaign of George Murphy, he went to work for Nixon, becoming the director of public relations on Nixon's re-election committee in 1972. He was one of three original recipients of Nixon's "enemies list" memo.

Shumway worked as a newspaper editor from 1973 to 1974, then directed public information for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission starting in 1975. In 1978 Shumway took a position as publisher of trade publication The Oil Daily.[2] Following its sale, he later published Utility Spotlight before retiring in 2000.

Shumway died of lung disease at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

References

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  1. ^ Sullivan, Patricia (April 26, 2008).Nixon Aide DeVan L. Shumway, 77. The Washington Post
  2. ^ Dougherty, Philip H. (January 28, 1981). ADVERTISING; Whitney Buys Coal Book. The New York Times