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Early Days In Oil CityIntegration No Problem Here In 1920s, Cy King, Top Buffalo Newsman, RecallsCyril Bernard (Cy) King, a widely-known Buffalo editor and radio man who got Iiis start as a newsman in Oil City 40 years ago, recalls that integration was a liUle known word in the mid-20's.“But when we were in high school we certainly practiced it {integration),” he said when interviewed in Buffalo when thenational convention of the Associated Press Managing Editors Association was held.Cy recalled how he and a group of Oil City High athletes canoed up the Allegheny River one day. Among the group was Ray Vaughn, a Negro athlete who still is considered as oneof the greatest football playersever to play for Oil City.“When darkness set in and we still were a considerable distance from Oil City, we decided to spend the night in a cabin along the river,” King said.My bunk partner that night.” he went on, was Ray Vaughn.”Vaughn weighed “200-plus and could run the 200 under 10 seconds. King said.Not only was he a greal football player and track man,” he stated, “but also he was as fine a gentleman as you would want to meet.”King said he had lost toucl with Vaughn after he graduatec from Colgate and took a posltior In New York City.The greal 1924 eleven, which finished with a reeord of eight victories, no defeats and three ties, scored 222 points to theopposition’s 26.Coached by George Woodman, that football machine 4i years ago is one of only four Oil City High elevens which finished a season undefeated in more than 50 years,Other players on that team were such well-known RtonrfouLs as Quarterback Konny Porter, Captain Dick Rocss, Slu Wilson, Brayfcon Encs. Ralph Krug, Dick Cleaves, Chuck Wood. Bob Moran, Moran Sherrick, Walter Jamieson and Jack Harmon. .King, although not a big man at 5-7, played halfback and he ran the quarter and half mile and the relay on the traek team.AfLer graduating from high school in 1925, Cy became sports editor of The Derrick.“The late Alex MacIntyre told me there was an opening on the Derrick news staff,” said King, “so I went to see Cecil Johnson who was the managing editor.”King said Johnson kept telling him to come back the nexl“This went on for about a week and then he said I had a job,” King went on. “I laterlearned that Johnson was testing me out to see if I was persistent and could stick it out.”One of his very first assignments, King said, was cover-ng a talk by the late Congress-wan Leon H. Gavin then the ocal Chamber of Commerce secretary, at the South Side Junior High School.I wrote a pretty complete dory,” he said, and when I anxiously scanned the pages to ;ee my first ‘big’ story 1 had rouble finding it because John-ion had chopped it down pretty nuch.After several years with the Derrick, King took a job wiili a Pittsburgh paper. There he also worked for Radio Station WJAS. He returned to Oil City and. ’■■■'' ■ •• -V.V.-' :/TV' V. \..... • ' ■ - • ■ t • • -.i ■ -• .i , .. v * ; :/• -t •; ■••••-' s ..• . • -vuc'.■*-.*1-V.'V:V• rlt;- y.■W*.—rA -w-v .*V - ' . .7V-'CHECK PAPER'S MAKEUP — Cy King (seat-cd), one-lime Oil City High School football and track star and at present executive editor ofthe Buffalo, NX, Courier, goes over one of the paper's editions with his assistant city editor, Scott Hyden.worked for Radio Station WLBW.From WLBW. he went to Altoona where he became city editor of the Altoona Tribune. He also did some broadcastingthere.His next move was back to Pittsburgh where he worked on the ropy desk with the Press. He taler went to Radio Station KDKA just about a week before f:ie Lindherg baby kidnaping.lt;T was one of only two newscasters in Pittsburgh at that time,” King recalled. “We spent many hours on the radio giving the latest news on the kidnaping.From Pittsburgh Cy went fo Buffalo as news director of Radio Station WBEN. In 1942 he became program director of WEBR.Today he is executive editorof the Buffalo Courier Express, a position he has held for the past 13 years. He lias some 100 editorial room workers. The Courier has a daily circulation of 170,000 and a Sunday circulation of 315,000.Incidentally, Fred McKenzie, a former Franklin News-Herald reporter and later a war correspondent, is with the Courier. He is on the editorial page staff.Several years ago Cy served as president of the New York State Society of Editors.At the Associated Press Managing Editors’ meeting in Buffalo, it was evident he was well known by newsmen from all parts of the country. He often was seen talking “shop with some of fhe lop managing editors and editors from iarge melropolitan dailies as well as with olhers from smaller papers.He is held in high regard as a newspaperman not only by his staff workers but also by newsmen from the Buffalo Evening News, chief rival of the Courier.King is very' active in civic and church affairs. He holds avery important post of chairman of the International (Peace) Bridge Authority. One hundred people are employed hy (he authority. The bridge connects Buffalo with Canada. There are five Americans andfive Canadians on the authority.He also is on the executive board of the Cancer Society and a vestryman in the Calvary Episcopal Church of Williamsburg, a Buffalo suhurb where he lives.When a small boy, King overcame a siege of scarlet fever and a heart condition to become a truly fine athlete.He recalls working at Lincoln Junior High School when it was being constructed. When still a student, lie also worked as an errand boy furthe Britton Drug Store.%Iiis father, the late Bernard C. King, worked for Pittsburgh Plate Glass and once operated a wallpaper and paint store in Franklin.His mother now makes her home in California. She recently visited her son, Jimmy King, Franklin councilman.Cy is married to the former Dor the a Brower of Mount Washington. They have two children, Dorthea, now married, and Barbara Ann, a sophomore at Dennison University,
Newspaper Details
Derrick
Oil City, Pennsylvania, US
Thu, Dec 02, 1965
Page 16
Full Page
Clipped by
Penny W.
USA 08 Oct 2020
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