Former 'NYT' Executive Raymond E. Douglas Dies

By: E&P Staff Raymond E. Douglas, a former executive for The New York Times whose
technological expertise helped usher in color to the paper?s news pages, died Friday at the age of 58, the Times reports. The cause was a pulmonary embolism.

Douglas first joined the Times in 1990, and brought with him the vital
skills of working with the computer systems that design and publish newspapers.

In 1993, Douglas became a vice president overseeing publishing and business computer systems at the Times. In 1997, the paper put through major changes in its format, something that had not taken place since the 1970s. Specifically, the paper decided to introduce a liberal use of color in both advertisements and photographs. It also proposed new sections, including separate weekday sports and arts sections.

That same year, Douglas became vice president for systems and technology for The New York Times Company. He was involved in the major renovations of the paper?s format. In 1998, he was again promoted, this time to the position of corporate chief information officer. He retired from the Times in 2001.

Before working at the Times, Douglas worked for the Gannett Company, where he contributed to the creation of systems used in the production of USA Today, which was introduced in 1982.

Douglas graduated from Michigan State University, and served in the Air
Force during the Vietnam War. He earned a Purple Heart for his service.