From the Washington Times:

Bart McDowell, an award-winning writer and senior editor at National Geographic magazine in Washington for 32 years, died Jan. 17 at his home in Forest Heights, Md. He was 85.

Born Hobart K. McDowell Jr., in San Antonio, Mr. McDowell is remembered by friends and relatives as urbane, gracious and witty. In the course of writing five books and nearly three dozen articles during his career at the magazine, he met President Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird; Pope John Paul II; the kings of Thailand and Tonga; and Spain's Generalissimo Francisco Franco.