NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- John Seigenthaler, a journalist who edited The Tennessean newspaper, helped shape USA Today and worked for civil rights during President John F. Kennedy's administration, died Friday at his Nashville home at age 86, his son said.

In his wide-ranging career, Seigenthaler also served on Robert Kennedy's presidential campaign and founded the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

A statement from his son, broadcast journalist John Seigenthaler Jr., said his father died "peacefully at home," where he was recovering after a recent medical treatment.

"We celebrate his life -- his devotion to social justice, his advocacy of human rights, and his enduring loyalty to friends and family," the statement said.

Seigenthaler began his journalism career in 1949 as a reporter for The Nashville Tennessean. He worked as a reporter and assistant city editor until 1960, when he took a job as administrative assistant to Robert Kennedy, who became attorney general in 1961 during the presidency of his brother.

While working for Kennedy, Seigenthaler served as chief negotiator with Alabama leaders during the 1961 Freedom Rides organized by civil-rights activists seeking to integrate interstate buses. During that crisis, he was attacked and knocked unconscious by a mob of Klansmen in Montgomery, Ala., as he tried to aid a young protester who was being pursued by the rioters.

At a 2007 gathering, he joined others in taking a bus to retrace a Freedom Ride from Montgomery to Birmingham, Ala.

"I'm going on this trip largely because I'm one of history's accidents. It was their vision and their courage that made the difference," Seigenthaler said. He called himself only "a footnote to the history of the Freedom Riders."

In 1962, Seigenthaler returned to The Tennessean as editor, but he took a leave of absence in 1968 to help Robert Kennedy's presidential campaign.

The New York Times said he was "one of a handful of advisers in whom the senator has absolute confidence." After Kennedy was assassinated that June, Seigenthaler was a pallbearer at his funeral.

Back at The Tennessean, he added the title of publisher to his resume in 1973. And in 1989, he became chairman, publisher and chief executive officer.

Also in the 1980s, he became the first editorial director as Gannett Co. launched USA Today. He held the post for almost a decade. Gannett also owns The Tennessean.

After he retired from The Tennessean in 1991, Seigenthaler founded the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt. The mission of the center -- an independent affiliate of the Arlington, Va.-based Freedom Forum -- is to create national discussion, dialogue and debate about First Amendment issues.

Seigenthaler worked in a variety of roles after his retirement. He served on the advisory boards of schools of journalism and communications at American University, the University of Tennessee and the University of Maryland.

He was a member of the National Commission on Federal Election Reform organized in 2001. He also was part of the Constitution Project Initiative on Liberty and Security, created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"A treasure for the nation," said Gene Policinski, chief operating officer at the Newseum Institute in Washington. "John was an extraordinary journalist and a passionate defender of those in need or facing discrimination."

"Today, we lost an iconic figure in Nashville's history -- a man who stood for inclusiveness long before it was synonymous with our city's culture. As a journalist, John did much more than bear witness to political and community affairs; he helped shape Nashville's story," said Nashville Mayor Karl Dean.

He is survived by his wife, the former Dolores Watson, a professional singer; and their son, John Jr.

A funeral is planned for Monday in Nashville.

A Section on 07/12/2014