Landon “Lanny” Y. Jones, the former editor of People magazine, died on Saturday surrounded by his family. He was 80 years old.

His columns, editorials and stories have appeared in numerous publications, including Time, Life, The Atlantic Monthy, The New York Times and The New Yorker Magazine. His books include Celebrity Nation: How America Evolved into a Culture of Fans and Followers, William Clark and the Shaping of the West, The Essential Lewis and Clark and Great Expectations: America and the Baby Boom Generation. Jones coined the term “baby boomer” in Great Expectations, which was nominated for the American Book Award in the nonfiction category.

In 2015, Jones was honored with the Time Inc. 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding journalism career.

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Jones studied English at Princeton University, where he worked as a reporter for The Daily Princetonian. He graduated in 1966 and wrote for Life before returning to his alma mater in 1969 to become editor of The Princeton Alumni Weekly. He later wrote for Time and People before becoming managing editor of Money magazine from 1984 to 1989. Under his leadership, the magazine won three consecutive National Magazine Awards.

From 1989 to 1997, Jones was editor in chief of People magazine at Time Inc., the most successful magazine in publishing history. While at People, Jones oversaw the editorial planning and launch of three new magazines: Who Weekly, In Style and People en Espanol.

He has taught courses in advanced nonfiction writing as a visiting professor at McGraw University in Princeton, as a writer in residence at Northwestern University, and as an adjunct professor in the honors program at Montana State University.

Jones was deeply involved in the Princeton community and supported many local organizations, including People and Stories. He was a friend of the Institute for Advanced Study and the Princeton University Library, and an active member of the Old Guard, a club for retired and semi-retired Princetonians. He was a trusted adviser to local journalists and was always willing to mentor young journalists he met at events at his alma mater, Princeton University.

He has served on the boards of the Rita Allen Foundation, a charitable organization with a special focus on transformative ideas in their early stages, the Alzheimer’s Association, American Rivers, and the Princeton Alumni Corps. He has also served on the Graduate Advisory Council of the Department of English at Princeton University.

Jones battled leukemia for several years but was determined to continue writing. His latest book, Celebrity Nation, was published in 2023.

A memorial service for Jones will be held in the fall.

Editor’s note: We will update this story with more obituary information and a memorial date as it becomes available. Lanny was a wonderful friend and supporter of Planet Princeton and will be missed by many in our community. Our deepest condolences go out to Lanny’s family and friends.