Press Releases

02/20/2009

Newspaper executive Mary Jacobus dies at 52

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Mary Jacobus, a veteran newspaper executive who in 2006 became president and chief operating officer of The New York Times Co.'s Regional Media Group, died Friday. She was 52.

Jacobus died of a sudden cerebral hemorrhage at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, The New York Times Co. said in a statement. She had been hospitalized after she unexpectedly became ill at work Feb. 2.

Since 2007, Jacobus also had been a member of the board of directors of The Associated Press, and she served on its Revenue Committee.

"Mary was a special leader who took on the big problems, made them smaller and inspired many along the way," AP CEO Tom Curley said. "She was a dear friend who will be missed."

Jacobus had been named president and general manager of The Boston Globe, owned by The New York Times Co., in January 2006, then took the regional newspaper group job later that year.

The New York Times Regional Media Group has 15 daily newspapers and 24 weeklies, mostly in the southeastern United States and California, as well as regional magazines and Web sites.

She grew up in Buffalo, New York, and attended Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, graduating in 1979.