Perlmutter, Jerome H. 1924–2005

(Jerome Herbert Perlmutter)

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born October 17, 1924, in New York, NY; died of complications from a brain tumor, October 6, 2005, in Rockville, MD. Civil servant, communications specialist, editor, and author. Perlmutter enjoyed a long career with various U.S. government agencies, working on their publications and redesigning them and many of the government's official logos. After serving in the U.S. Navy Reserve during World War II, he attended George Washington University, where he completed his B.A. in 1949. This was later followed by an M.A. in 1957 from American University. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, he held several editorial jobs, including production editor for the NEA Journal, editor for the Journal of Health, and editor-in-chief for publications of the American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. Perlmutter then began his association with governmental departments. From 1951 to 1962 he was chief editor for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and from 1962 to 1972 he was chief of publishing and reproduction for the U.S. Department of State. While there, he published his only book, A Practical Guide to Effective Writing (1965). His government experience led to his appointment as federal graphics coordinator for the National Endowment for the Arts' Federal Design Improvement Program. It was in this capacity that Perlmutter worked to redesign many of the federal government's logos and publications. In addition to these positions, Perlmutter occasionally taught university-level courses, including at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Graduate School in the 1950s and at the University of Maryland in the 1960s. He also was a language consultant and writer for such organizations as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Foreign Service Institute. After retiring from his government post in 1979, he founded Perlmutter Associates, a consulting firm where he was chief executive officer until 1990.

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PERIODICALS

Washington Post, October 8, 2005, p. B7.