Sam Vaughan, editor and author, dead

NEW YORK (AP) ― Sam Vaughan, a longtime editor and publisher at Random House and Doubleday who worked with Dwight D. Eisenhower, Duke Ellington and many others has died. He was 83.

Random House Inc. announced Tuesday that Vaughan died in his sleep Monday night at his home in Tenafly, New Jersey.

“Sam was a giant, a fabulous man, a great leader, and a remarkable and very creative editor,’’ Random House executive vice president Kate Medina said in a statement. “He was magic on the page and in person. His elegance and wonderful humor, his dedication to excellence, his grace in all situations inspired people.’’

Vaughan also wrote several books, including children’s stories and humor. He collaborated with the late conservative writer and commentator William F. Buckley on “Buckley: The Right Word.’’

Vaughan was born and raised in Philadelphia, a block from his future wife, Jo LoBiondo. He attended Pennsylvania State University, and, after serving in the Marine Corps, joined King Features Syndicate as a desk man in 1951. He didn’t remember being much of a reader, but the tall, well-spoken Vaughan was a born seller and his enthusiasm and integrity helped him rise steadily at Doubleday, then Random House Inc.

He joined Doubleday as an assistant manager in 1952 and eventually moved from sales to editorial to president and publisher. Most recently, he was an editor at large at Random House Inc. He retired in 2004.