Obit

Connor, 88

AMERICAN JOURNALIST and newspaper editor Lawrence “Bo” Connor died last February 28. He was 88.

Connor began his journalistic career as a reporter for the Indianapolis Star. He was later promoted to assistant city editor then worked as the paper’s managing editor. (Lawrence S. Connor, Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame)

Connor oversaw the coverage of the major news stories in Indianapolis’ history such as the Coliseum explosion in October 1963 and the crash of an Allegheny airplane in September 1969. (Longtime Star editor ‘Bo’ Connor remembered fondly, Indy Star)

Connor helped the paper win two Pulitzer Prizes, one in 1975 for its reports on police corruption and another in 1990 for the series of stories on medical malpractice.

Connor was also a member of the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame. He was also the first recipient of the Larry A. Conrad Renaissance Award from the Indianapolis Press Club.

In a statement on Connor’s death, editor and columnist for The Star who worked with Connor for three decades, said: “He was a first-rate, old-school editor who believed the newspaper had to strive to tell the truth.”

Thomas, 89

AMERICAN JOURNALIST William “Bill” Thomas died last February 23. He was 89.

Thomas was the top editor for Los Angeles Times. In 1955, he became an editor at a small weekly newspaper in Southern California. He also worked for Los Angeles’ Mirror News, a tabloid owned by Times-Mirror (The L.A. Times’ parent company). In 1962, he joined The L.A. Times and became its metro editor after three years. (Bill Thomas, 89, Dies; Editor Guided Los Angeles Times to 9 Pulitzers, New York Times)

Thomas supervised the launch of the Sunday magazine, Book Review and daily Business and Calendar sections.  He also opened 11 domestic and foreign bureaus and created regional editions in San Diego and the San Fernando Valley. (William F. Thomas dies at 89; former Times chief editor, Los Angeles Times)

Thomas helped the Times reap 11 Pulitzer Prizes during his career. The Times’ coverage of the Watts riots gave the paper’s first Pulitzer for local reporting.

In a statement on Thomas’ death, CNN president and former Times editor Tom Johnson, said: “He never sought the spotlight for himself. His passion was for great writing.” (William F. Thomas dies at 89; former Los Angeles Times editor, The Washington Post)

Tom Rosenstiel, a media reporter during Thomas’ years who now directs the American Press Institute, said: “He imagined a newspaper that had things no other newspaper had and everything any other newspaper had.”  (William F. Thomas dead: Former Los Angeles Times Editor Dies at 89, Huffington Post)

Thomas is survived by three sons and a granddaughter.