Larry Hughes, longtime head of William Morrow, died on November 14 at age 98.
His publishing career began in the mail room at Pocket Books, where over 10 years he rose to become senior editor. In 1960, he became a v-p at William Morrow. From 1965 to 1985, he was Morrow's president and CEO. During that time, Morrow published such bestselling authors as Sidney Sheldon, Morris West, Joseph Wambaugh, John Irving, Ken Follett, Saul Bellow, and Margaret Truman. From 1985 to 1988, Hughes was president and CEO of the Hearst Trade Book Group, until he became editor-at-large and group adviser.
Hughes was also involved with a range of organizations, libraries, and schools. He served on the board of governors of Yale University Press and on the board of directors of the National Book Foundation. He was also a trustee of the Pequot Library in Southport, Conn., and for 37 years was trustee and lifetime trustee of the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City. A fierce advocate for the freedom to publish, he was a member of the Helsinki Watch Committee and he worked closely with PEN America.
He will be remembered for his sense of humor, generosity, storytelling, and his love of golf.