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Lazarus joined ''The Shreveport Times'' in 1944 as 17-year-old copy boy and retired in 1990 at the age of sixty-four as the managing editor. Before the editorship, he had worked as a reporter, copy editor, sportswriter, telegraph editor, and news editor. He was a former president of the Louisiana-[[Mississippi]] Associated Press Association and a board member of the AP Managing Editors Association. He was a charter member and president of the [[Arkansas|Ark]][[Louisiana|La]][[Texas|Tex]] chapter of Sigma Delta Chi, later named the Society of Professional Journalists. In 1967, he began writing "A Nit-Picker's Notebook," a critique indicating spelling, grammar, and style errors for the staff. In I982, "A Nit-Picker's Notebook'' became a regular column in ''The Times'' and ran until 2014, long after Lazarus had retired.<ref name=obit/>

Lazarus joined ''The Shreveport Times'' in 1944 as 17-year-old copy boy and retired in 1990 at the age of sixty-four as the managing editor. Before the editorship, he had worked as a reporter, copy editor, sportswriter, telegraph editor, and news editor. He was a former president of the Louisiana-[[Mississippi]] Associated Press Association and a board member of the AP Managing Editors Association. He was a charter member and president of the [[Arkansas|Ark]][[Louisiana|La]][[Texas|Tex]] chapter of Sigma Delta Chi, later named the Society of Professional Journalists. In 1967, he began writing "A Nit-Picker's Notebook," a critique indicating spelling, grammar, and style errors for the staff. In I982, "A Nit-Picker's Notebook'' became a regular column in ''The Times'' and ran until 2014, long after Lazarus had retired.<ref name=obit/>

Judy Christie, a former ''Times'' editor called Lazarus "the finest wordsmith I ever knew and an editor until the very end.  He said his interest in grammar and typos began at birth when his first name was misspelled ... on his birth certificate..<ref name=wordsmith>{{cite web|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2020/05/18/former-times-managing-editor-allan-lazarus-dies/5216866002/|title=Former Times Managing Editor Allan Lazarus dies at 92|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=May 18, 2020|accessdate=May 20, 2020}}</ref> Kathie Coffey Rowell, a former ''Times'' features editor, said that Lazarus  "wanted your best, but he got it by coaching, not criticizing. One of the most important things  I learned from him - details count, no matter how small."<ref name=wordsmith/>

Judy Christie, a former ''Times'' editor called Lazarus "the finest wordsmith I ever knew and an editor until the very end.  He said his interest in grammar and typos began at birth when his first name was misspelled ... on his birth certificate..<ref name=wordsmith>{{cite web|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2020/05/18/former-times-managing-editor-allan-lazarus-dies/5216866002/|title=Former Times Managing Editor Allan Lazarus dies at 92|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|author=Scott Ferrell|date=May 18, 2020|accessdate=May 20, 2020}}</ref> Kathie Coffey Rowell, a former ''Times'' features editor, said that Lazarus  "wanted your best, but he got it by coaching, not criticizing. One of the most important things  I learned from him - details count, no matter how small."<ref name=wordsmith/>

Lazarus recalled V-J Day in September 1945, when ''The Times'' published a rare extra edition. As a copy boy a the time, Lazarus passed by [[Monroe Dodd|Dodd College]] (now the First [[Southern Baptist|Baptist]] Church School) and saw a newsboy selling the extra papers. Lazarus bought all the papers available and distributed then at Dodd College.<ref name=wordsmith/> As the news editor in July 1969, he came into the office from his vacation to write the head line of [[Neil Armstrong]]'s walk on the surface of the [[moon]]. He noted that Armstrong mistakenly left out the article "a" when he said "one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind."<ref name=wordsmith/>

Lazarus recalled V-J Day in September 1945, when ''The Times'' published a rare extra edition. As a copy boy a the time, Lazarus passed by [[Monroe Dodd|Dodd College]] (now the First [[Southern Baptist|Baptist]] Church School) and saw a newsboy selling the extra papers. Lazarus bought all the papers available and distributed then at Dodd College.<ref name=wordsmith/> As the news editor in July 1969, he came into the office from his vacation to write the head line of [[Neil Armstrong]]'s walk on the surface of the [[moon]]. He noted that Armstrong mistakenly left out the article "a" when he said "one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind."<ref name=wordsmith/>