Leger retiring from Wall Street Journal

John Leger, a news editor for The Wall Street Journal who has worked for Dow Jones & Co. for three decades, is retiring.

Most recently, Leger has been overseeing Journal Reports on wealth management, philanthropy, country reports and The Wall Street Journal’s annual Technology Innovation Awards. He was also one of the original editors at The Wall Street Journal Europe and former deputy bureau chief in London.

In an email Tuesday afternoon to his colleagues, Leger writes:

Over the Christmas holidays many years ago, an Indiana University student from Louisville, Ky., received a telegram. Congratulations, it said. You have been selected for a Dow Jones Newspaper Fund editing internship. Next summer you’ll be working at…..The Wall Street Journal, New York.

And so began an incredible journey that would last for nearly four decades and take me all over the world. Today that journey ends. I am retiring to, you know, do what retirees are supposed to do: play shuffleboard. Go to dinner at 5 pm for the senior special. Take Viagra. Watch cat videos. Move my lips while reading. Buy a lifetime supply of Preparation H. Call into talk radio: “…And I tell ya another thing. And..uh, uh, I lost my train of thought…”

Well, I’m not planning to do any of that (except watch cat videos). I’m exploring all kinds of fun possibilities. And I’ll be doing whatever I can to support the Princeton University Art Museum and Library as well as L’Avant-Scene, the French theatre workshop at Princeton.

But before I do, I’d like to express my deep gratitude, especially to those who have given me such extraordinary opportunities:

The Dow Jones Newspaper (now News) Fund, for selecting me and assigning me to the Journal.

John Kelliher, the copydesk chief who guided my way that summer AND tracked me down the following summer to offer me a job for when I graduated.

Norm Pearlstine, for bringing me to Brussels right before he started up The Wall Street Journal Europe. What an amazing experience working with such extraordinary journalists as Norm, John Huey, John Geddes, Matt Winkler, Marty Schenker and many others. And, of course, all those who followed in their footsteps, such as Bob Keatley, Urban Lehner, Bill Casey, Phil Revzin, Fred Kempe, Rich Hudson, Raju Narisetti and Tracy Corrigan, to name just a few.

Karen Pensiero and Al Anspaugh. They know why.

Gordon Crovitz and Nayan Chanda, for bringing me to Hong Kong for my next adventure: working at the Far Eastern Economic Review.

Karen House, for supporting me at key moments in my career.

Rupert Murdoch, for investing in Dow Jones and the Journal. Just look at all these great new sections and all the amazing talent we’ve hired. And as someone who worked 20 years outside the U.S., I’m deeply grateful for the vast expansion of our international news coverage (for which we deserve numerous Pulitzer Prizes).

The truly great Larry Rout, editor of Journal Reports. I’ve worked with Larry for more than 10 years but it occurred to me only recently that I’m actually one of the newer members of his group. Others have been with Larry for much longer. That should tell you something about how he inspires such dedication and why so many people want to work for him.

All of you, especially my fabulous colleagues in Journal Reports and everyone who has ever written for my reports over the years.