The Post-Journal

Frank Hyde Retires As Sports Editor

Frank Hyde, veteran sports editor of the Post-Journal, will retire effective Saturday, completing nearly 36 years at the helm of one of the Southern Tier's largest and oldest daily sports departments.

Hyde, who will be 73 years old December 16, assumed the sports editorship March 1, 1945, after having worked as assistant sports editor of the Salt Lake City (Utah) Tribune for 18 months. He was sports editor of the Billings (Montana) Gazette for six years prior to his work at the Tribune.

"Frank Hyde has become so closely identified with the Post-Journal over the years that when most people think of the newspaper, they inevitably think of Frank," said Editor Don Meyer in announcing Hyde's retirement. "He has become an institution in his own right."

Although Hyde will retire as sports editor, he has agreed to continue to write his popular personal column "Frankly Speaking" and will also contribute sports feature stories from time to time, Meyer noted.

"Frank is one of the top sports editors in our business," Meyer said, "and we are delighted that he has agreed to continue to share his writing talents with our readers on a limited basis."

Post-Journal publisher Earl S. Champlin praised Hyde's dedication to his job, observing that "during my 25 years in the newspaper field, I have never met an employee who has shown more dedication to his job than Frank Hyde has. The Post-Journal and the Jamestown area have been very fortunate to have had a sports writer of his caliber."

Champlin, on behalf of the Post-Journal management, also wished "Frank and his wife Evelyn a long and happy retirement."

Hyde's first contact with the newspaper industry was in a non-writing capacity, as copy boy for a summer with the Chicago Tribune at 15 years of age.

Later he served as a news stringer for the Yankton (S.D.) Press and Dakotan covering the Jack Dempsey-Tommy Gibbons heavyweight title fight at Shelby, Montana. He was described by one wire service reporter as the youngest newsman ever to cover a heavyweight title fight.

Before moving onto the Billings Gazette, Hyde worked in reporting and non-reporting capacities for newspapers in Portland, Ore., and Minneapolis, Minn.

Hyde has not simply served as an observer of sports, but at one time was an active participant.

After gaining experience in high school and AAU wrestling competition, Hyde tried his hand at professional wrestling. But that pursuit was cut short after he suffered a serious hip injury. He was also involved in promoting both boxing and wrestling cards.

During his years with the Post-Journal, Hyde served as statistician for the Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York (PONY) League, now the NY-P. He served without pay and during that period published the league's first series of record books.

He also covered the Jamestown Falcons in spring training for a decade at various Florida sites.

He is an honorary Gold Card member of the National Association of Baseball League Writers with a lifetime pass. He is a lifetime honorary member of the Gerry Fire Department, sponsor of the Gerry Rodeo; the Jamestown YMCA; Chautauqua Lake Yacht Club; and the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials, an honor bestowed on him in 1967 by Local Board 39, IAABO.

Hyde has served for 20 years on the prestigious Heisman Award Committee of New York. The Heisman, the most coveted award for collegiate football players, is awarded annually to the recipient voted by the writer-members as the nation's leading college football player.

In 1969 Hyde was awarded the Sport Magazine Service Award. President Frederick A. Klein of McFadden-Bartell Corp., publishers of Sport Magazine, flew to Jamestown to make the presentation at one of the Temple Hesed Abraham Men's Club sports dinners.

In 1975, Jamestown businessmen and sports personalities staged a testimonial dinner in Hyde's honor at the Hotel Jamestown. And just two weeks ago, Hyde was honored by fellow P-J employees at a banquet at the Holiday Inn.

Hyde is married to the former Evelyn Young of Newport, Arkansas whom he met in Little Rock, Ark. They were married at Glendive, Montana in 1935 and have three children.

The eldest child, Pat Loy, is village finance director at Chagrin Falls, Ohio and was recently elected vice-president of the Municipal Finance Association of Ohio. Son, David, is studying for his doctorate in school administration at the University of Maryland. The youngest son, Tom, a graduate of Kent State University is residing in New Zealand. All were graduates of Southwestern Central School and have blessed the Hydes with six grandchildren.


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We gratefully acknowledge these individuals and organizations for their generous support.