Showalter - Tom K.
Note: Tom was born Oct 5, 1904 and passed away July 9, 1969 (buried Oak Hill Cemetery in C'ville as is his son, Tom 7-7-1933 to 11-18-1984) and other family members
Source: Unknown newspaper --
Today throughout the country many newspapers and the wire services have some of their top-notch, dedicated, hard-nosed newsmen because Tom Showalter loved his profession and taught it and instilled in cub reporters what it is to be a newsman. A good newsman's tough on the outside. He's rough and he knows his business. He can smell a phony a mile away, and he can sense a news story by osmosis. It's in his bones. And underneath the rugged exterior a newsman is as soft and sensitive as a mother tending a child. He's got to be; he's got to feel or he can't be the medium that shows the reader his world in all its hard, tough-to-take aspects but also in all its richness of humanity and understanding. Tom shaped that kind of newsmen. Every one of them, who once felt his blustery give-it-all-you've-got and less-than-that-won't-do criticism, or his rare but authentic "excellent" for a job well done, mourn his passing and wish him peace with God. , His staff and his newspaper will miss him and remember him, and because they will the dedication he gave to his newspaper and his profession will go on in those he taught as his legacy.
Source: Unknown newspaper (the CDPL Vitals database does not have him listed but can't imagine they didn't have a great spread for him ??
Tom K. Showalter Sr., The Journal-Review’s managing editor, died at 2 a.m. Wednesday in Culver Hospital. Mr. Showalter had been critically ill since being stricken by cancer while vacationing at a lake in Northern Indiana last September. He was hospitalized at Columbia City and Fort Wayne before being brought here. He underwent major surgery at Fort Wayne’s Parkview Hospital. He was 64. A 40-year employe of The Journal-Review, Mr. Showalter had headed its news staff since 1946. He earlier had been a reporter and had handled The Associated Press wire report. A widely known and highly respected newspaperman, Mr. Showalter was dean of Indiana managing editors. He was a 22-year member and past president of the Indiana Associated Press Managing Editors Association and served two three year terms as a director of the national APME. He also had served both organizations on numerous study committees and once headed the national group’s important nominating committee. Mr. Showalter was among the first Indiana editors to hire journalism students as part of Indiana University’s journalism intern program, and gave many young Indiana journalists their first working experience. During his many years in the business, Mr. Showalter had trained more newsmen than even he could quickly count. Mr. Showalter was a Crawfordsville correspondent for The Associated Press and the Indianapolis News. The veteran newsman’s earlier years in the profession were in the era in which one or two persons did practically all the writing. Mr. Showalter covered the field – accidents, fires, court cases, features, sports, editorials, even society news. He handled for his newspaper and The Associated Press the city’s most disastrous fire, the conflagration of 1933 that destroyed a downtown quarter-block of business establishments and damaged the building then housing the newspaper at 119 S. Green St. Mr. Showalter had a number of civic interests. He was a member of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, the Kiwanis Club, the Sportsmen’s Club and Crawfordsville United Community Fund, Inc., of which he was a director. He also had served the Kiwanis Club as a director. He was a member of the First Christian Church and of Sigma Delta Chi, national professional journalism fraternity. He was recognized in 1967 in the Indiana Publisher, publication of the Hoosier State Press Association, as dean of the state’s managing editors. Aside from two score years of getting the news – and first the local area happenings – into his paper Mr. Showalter found relaxation in fishing, gardening and keeping an affectionate eye on his grandchildren. Mr. Showalter was a son of James and Mamie Phillips Showalter and was born Oct. 5, 1904, at Wabash, where he was graduated from high school. Mr. Showalter was a guard on the Wabash High School football team of 1920 which was undefeated, untied and unscored on. He was 16 when he entered Wabash College, where he was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. After two years he transferred to Cumberland University at Lebanon, Tenn., and was graduated with a bachelor degree in English and Latin. Returning to his home town in Wabash County, Mr. Showalter began his long newspaper career as a reporter for the Wabash Citizen. When that newspaper ceased publication he moved to Crawfordsville and joined the staff of The Review on Aug. 19, 1928. The morning Review and afternoon Journal were combined in October of 1929. Mr. Showalter was married Oct. 25, 1930, to Jane Jones of this city. She survives with three sons, Tom K. Jr., former city councilman and employed at R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co., Inc.; Dan, a Muncie junior high school teacher, coach and attendance officer, and James J. of Hollywood, Calif., executive editor of Toastmaster International magazine at Santa Ana, Calif.; three brothers, John of Minneapolis, Lee of Muncie and Richard of Wabash, Ind.; one aunt, Mrs. Gordon Potter of Anderson; an uncle, Homer T. Showalter of Wabash, and seven grandchildren, Shari, Joe and Doug, all of Crawfordsville, and Daniel Lee, Terri, Ann and Michael, all of Muncie. Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday at the Hunt and Son Funeral Home with Rev. Howard F. Miller of the First Christian Church officiating. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery. Friends may call after 1 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. – jlr
Note: Tribute: was paid to deceased Crawfordsville Journal-Review Managing Editor Tom K. Showalter Sr. by the local post office by flying the US Flag at half-staff Friday. Postmaster J. Ed Ross said the tribute was to a man who " ... was dedicated to the betterment of his community."