A trio of journalists told stories of Greene County journalists they consider to be “legendary” for about 30 persons at a Greene County Historical Society program Sunday afternoon at the museum in Jefferson.
Chuck Offenburger and Denise O’Brien Van, both former Des Moines Register journalists, and Alan Robinson, who worked for New York City magazines before returning to his home town of Grand Junction, were presenters.
They told stories of Victor Lovejoy, editor of the Jefferson Bee from 1909 to 1942; Frank L. Mott, editor/publisher of the Grand Junction Globe from 1914 to 1917 and a later winner of a Pulitzer Prize for his research and books about the history of U.S. magazines (his mantra, “Don’t knock – Boost” became a tagline for Grand Junction); Kenneth MacDonald, editor-in-chief of the Des Moines Register from 1953 to 1976 and was revered as a near god; W. Earl Hall, editor-in-chief of the Mason City Globe-Gazette for 43 years; George Gallup, who worked in journalism early in his career; David Yepsen, who became nationally famous as political reporter and columnist for the Des Moines Register; and Fred Morain and Rick Morain, who between them served Jefferson and Greene County with their brand of community-boosting journalism for nearly 75 years.
There were stories of political reporter Mary Rae Davis Bragg, Paton High School graduate Mike Schilling, and the Bee’s own Mary Kay Kidder. Mention was given to the long careers of local radio personalities Jerry Roberts and Doug Rieder and Travis Graven, whose career is in television. There was also a mention of the changing landscape of news sources made possible by technology, including GreeneCountyNewsOnline.
The presenters had planned to develop, with audience help, a list of the top news stories in the county over the years. The program went longer than most Historical Society programs, and the list was developed in conversation following the program rather than during it. On the list were the construction of the Lincoln Highway, the draining of the sloughs, the career and death of Eva Leonard, Eisenhower and troop transports in Jefferson, Agri-Rama, astronaut Loren Shriver, Doreen Wilber and her 1972 Olympic gold medal, the inception and success of Bauer Built in Paton, and the effort to secure a gaming license and bring Wild Rose Casino to the county.
O’Brien Van and Mikki Schwarzkopf have spent nearly a year researching the next program that features stories of the Greene County home front during World War Two. That program is slated for Sunday, Nov. 8.
