Winship (Thomas) is born in Cambridge.

Tom Winship grows up in Sudbury, graduates from Harvard University, and serves as a war correspondent for the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. After working as a reporter for the Washington Post and servings briefly as press secretary for U.S. Sen. Leverett Saltonstall, he becomes Washington correspondent for the Boston Globe in 1958. Winship marries Elizabeth Coolidge, moves to Lincoln, and succeeds his father as editor of the Boston Globe (1965-84). During his tenure, he is credited with increasing circulation, recruiting prize-winning journalists, and turning the paper into one of national importance. Winship dies in Boston on March 14, 2002.