The Kansas native, DePauw University graduate (class of 1935), and World War II veteran of the U.S. Navy and U.S.

Naval Reserve pursued a six-decade-long career in journalism that included work for the United Press new agency, as news director of WIRE-AM in Indianapolis, and in various editorial and publishing positions at the Star and News before he succeeded his father, Eugene C. Pulliam, as publisher of the two newspapers.

Pulliam also became executive vice president of Central Newspapers, Inc., the media holding company his father founded in 1934.

At that time his father was editor and publisher of the Atchison Daily Champion, the first of forty-six newspapers that he eventually owned.

[1][2][3] In 1915 Eugene C. Pulliam sold the Daily Champion to purchase the Franklin Evening Star and moved the family to Indiana.

[7][8] After graduating from DePauw University in 1935, Pulliam worked for the United Press news service in Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; and Buffalo, New York.

[1] Pulliam returned to Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1938 to serve as news director of WIRE-AM, one of the radio stations his father also owned.

[citation needed] In the meantime, Pulliam's father formed Central Newspapers, Inc., in 1934 as a holding company for his publishing interests.

"[1] During Eugene S. Pulliam's tenure as publisher of the Indianapolis Star, its staff was awarded two Pulitzer Prizes.

Pulliam served as a member of the American Society of News Editors's eleven-person special committee that reviewed Senator McCarthy's questioning of Wechler.

[3] Eugene S. Pulliam, or "Young Gene" as he was known "was quiet and calm and did not allow his conservative views to leak into the news columns.