William Shearer

William “Alan” Shearer (Col ’70) retired in September 2017 from the Washington Post, where he was editorial director, general manager and CEO of the Post’s News Service and Syndicate. In his 26 years at the Post, Alan was lead editor for some of the most widely read syndicated columnists in America and, starting in 2012, also supervised the Post’s News Service, which reached almost 600 publications around the world. Prior to joining the Post, he was with the Los Angeles Times in New York and United Press International in six locations in the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast. In retirement, he is planning a novel based on his ancestors’ exploits fighting for the South in the Civil War. He and his wife, Kathy, live in the Washington, D.C., area.