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How Ben Bradlee confronted his book-signing gaffe

I noted with sadness last week the passing of former Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee.

Ben Bradlee, former Washington Post editor during the Watergate scandal, at the Washington Post in Washington, DC on June 21, 1995.
Ben Bradlee, former Washington Post editor during the Watergate scandal, at the Washington Post in Washington, DC on June 21, 1995.Read moreAP Photo/The Washington Post, Bill O'Leary, File
    by By Michael Morsch, Inquirer
    Published 

I noted with sadness last week the passing of former Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee.

Besides Pulitzer Prize-winning Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, their editor Bradlee was the only other person to know the real identity of "Deep Throat," the unnamed source the two reporters used to break the Watergate story that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974.

Soon thereafter, I started journalism school in 1977. Then, every student of journalism wanted to be Woodward and/or Bernstein. That's the way we were taught. But I wanted something a little more. I wanted to be Ben Bradlee.

Many years later, in October 2004, my boss at Montgomery Newspapers, Betsy Wilson, knew that I was a fan of all the Washington Post journalists. She had a friend named Jim Mannarino, who worked for the Post's company. For my birthday that year, she asked Jim if he would get me a signed copy of Bradlee's book, A Good Life: Newspapering and Other Adventures.

Bradlee would have been around 83 years old at the time. On Oct. 15, four days before my birthday, Betsy got an e-mail from Jim. I'll let him tell the rest of the story:

"Never has something so easy become so complicated," Jim wrote. "The good news is today, via Airborne Express, I am sending an autographed copy of Ben's book to you for your editor.

"However, his assistant called to say that Ben signed it to my name. She went back in and said, 'Ben, this is not for Jim, but for Mike.' He said, 'No problem.' Then took the book and wrote, 'To Jim Mannarino's friend, Mike Morsch.'

"Not only is that weird, since Mike has no idea who I am, but he did it in two different colored inks. So sorry it is not perfect, but I don't know what else to do. Let me know if you are OK with this. Ben is great, but getting a bit older now.

"Hope you are well, Jim."

This has become one of the favorite stories of my newspaper career. Not only is it a perfect autograph, it's a perfect story.

There will never be another newspaperman like Ben Bradlee.