Andy Lippman, beloved bureau chief who directed many of AP’s biggest stories, dies at 78
Andy Lippman, a longtime Associated Press bureau chief known for shaping and mentoring generations of reporters, died at 78 in Tucson, Arizona, after a battle with a rare brain disease. Over a 38-year AP career, he led bureaus in Louisville, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles, guiding coverage of landmark events such as the O.J. Simpson trial, the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Renowned for his leadership, warmth, and commitment to staff, he fostered talent and remained engaged with journalism through teaching, volunteering, and a late-career column. He received the AP Oliver S. Gramling Spirit Award in 2005 and was recognized for community service, including helping immigrants become citizens. Plans for a memorial celebration are pending with cremation and scattered ashes in multiple sites.
Dive Deeper:
Born April 29, 1948, in Bethesda, Maryland, Lippman pursued journalism from high school onward, editing The Pitch at Walter Johnson High School and reporting for the Washington Daily News as a teenager.
After Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism (1970), he joined the AP in 1971 in Phoenix, then worked in Tucson, New York, Cincinnati, Louisville, and finally Los Angeles, rising to oversee the AP’s second-largest domestic bureau.
While in Los Angeles, he supervised coverage of major stories including the O.J. Simpson trial, the 1994 Northridge earthquake causing extensive damage, and the 1992 Los Angeles riots, illustrating his role in coordinating top-tier national reporting.
Colleagues described him as a model bureau chief—informal, energetic, and fiercely loyal to staff—earning praise from former AP leaders for his staff mentorship and unwavering commitment to the agency’s mission.
Beyond reporting, Lippman mentored dozens of editors and reporters, taught English to immigrants, and helped about 75 Green Card holders prepare for citizenship exams; he received the Oliver S. Gramling Spirit Award in 2005 for dedication and courage.
Even after medical retirement in 2007, he remained active in journalism—writing a weekly column for the South Pasadena Review for eight years and staying involved in AP retiree events and community service.
He served six years in the U.S. Army Reserves beginning in 1970, and in later years his life blended professional impact with family and community, with plans for a life-celebration pending and ashes to be placed at several notable sites.