Andy Lippman, a longtime AP bureau chief famed for overseeing coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial, died at 78 from a rare brain disease in Tucson. Over a 39-year AP career, he led bureaus in Louisville, Indianapolis and Los Angeles, shaping major events such as the Simpson trial, the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Colleagues remember him as a thoughtful mentor and friend who remained devoted to staff, even hosting Thanksgiving meals and mentoring dozens of reporters. His legacy includes mentoring a generation of journalists and continuing to contribute to journalism through teaching and local writing after retirement. His family plans cremation with ashes set for several locations in the U.S. and Europe, reflecting a life rooted in community and service.
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Lippman died at his home in Tucson on July 25 from multiple system atrophy, a rare brain disease, according to his brother.
During a 39-year AP career, he led the Los Angeles bureau and previously oversaw AP bureaus in Louisville and Indianapolis, guiding coverage of landmark events such as the O.J. Simpson trial, the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
Former AP leaders and colleagues described him as a model bureau chief with boundless energy, loyalty to staff, and a talent for building strong professional-family bonds within the organization.
Even after retirement in 2009, Lippman remained active in journalism, teaching English to immigrants, helping about 75 Green Card applicants prepare for citizenship tests, and writing a weekly column for the South Pasadena Review until last December.
He received the AP Oliver S. Gramling Spirit Award in 2005 for dedication and courage in support of the agency’s mission, highlighting his impact on colleagues and newsroom culture.
Lippman’s early life included journalism at Bethesda’s The Pitch, studies at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, and a path through AP’s Phoenix and Tucson bureaus before rising to national prominence in Los Angeles.
Survivors include his sister-in-law, brother Glenn, and a wide network of friends, former colleagues, and students; he will be cremated and his ashes distributed to Ravello, Italy; Colonial Williamsburg; Indiana; and South Pasadena, California.