New York Times reviewer Herbert Mitgang called him in 1982 the "leading non-Indian writer about Native Americans".
[1] Early in his career, Josephy worked as a Hollywood screenwriter, New York City newspaper correspondent, radio station news director, the Washington Office of War Information, and in the Pacific theater as United States Marine Corps combat correspondent, where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for "heroic achievement in action... [making] a recording of historical significance" during the U.S. invasion of Guam.
Josephy's reporting on organized crime in Santa Monica was the basis for the film The Captive City, which he co-wrote.
[3] Josephy served as a senior advisor on Federal Indian Policy to Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall during the Kennedy Administration, and later as an advisor to President Richard Nixon on matters pertaining to Native Americans and government policies relating to Indian Tribes.
[1] In Joseph, Oregon, where Alvin and Betty owned a ranch and hosted a camp for Nez Perce children,[3] their legacy is well remembered.