Adam A. "Bud" Smyser, the first editor in chief of The Daily Collegian, died Monday, March 19, at age 80. He last visited the Collegian on Sept. 7, 1990, to help celebrate 50 years of daily publication.
At the time of the celebration, Bud's younger brother, Richard "Dick" Smyser, was a visiting professor of journalism at Penn State and a member of the Collegian Board of Directors. Dick was a former managing editor of the Collegian.
Both were named Distinguished Alumni at Penn State. Bud, Class of 1941, was named in 1976. Dick, Class of 1944, was named in 1985.
Smyser was a newsman and editor of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. His final "Hawaii's World'' column was titled: "A better way to die." It discussed treatment decisions people need to make when told they are terminally ill.
Smyser was born in York, Pa., and was stationed in Hawaii as a U.S. Navy officer during World War II.
On his way home from Asia after the war, Smyser's ship stopped at Pearl Harbor. While the ship refueled, Smyser visited the Star-Bulletin and was offered a job on the spot.
Since 1946, Smyser served as a reporter, city editor, managing editor, editor in chief and editorial page editor. After retiring in 1983, he continued as a contributing editor.
One of Smyser's earliest campaigns was the fight for Hawaii statehood in 1959.
In 1999, Smyser was named a "Living Treasure of Hawaii'' by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission for his lifelong contributions to the community through his work at the Star-Bulletin.
Smyser is survived by his wife Dee, daughter Heidi and son Avery.
Paula Froke ('81), former editor of The Daily Collegian and native of State College, was appointed in September as The Associated Press projects editor in New York.
Froke joined the AP in Minneapolis in 1984 and served as news editor there before moving to Detroit, where she has directed news coverage since 1991.
Her job consists of working with news editors and bureau reporters to develop enterprise stories and news projects for AP's national wire, coordinating closely with other AP departments, including sports, photos, business, graphics, broadcast and multimedia.
Margit Detweiler ('89), formerly a music and style reporter at The Daily Collegian as well as a copy editor, recently left her position as managing editor at America Online's Digital City Philadelphia to accept a position as the managing editor for Digital City New York.
Prior to this, Detweiler worked for 10 years at an alternative weekly, the Philadelphia City Paper, where she held positions as the music and style editor and managing editor.
Since 1985, former Daily Collegian staff writer Eve Glicksman ('76, Broadcast Journalism) has been a freelance writer based in the Philadelphia area. Her byline has appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, USAir, The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Newsday, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Salon. She also writes for businesses and institutions including Merck & Company and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Glicksman is a member of the American Society of Journalists & Authors.
David R. Jones ('54), Penn State Board of Trustees member and former Collegian editor, underwent an angioplasty in September. He works as a consulting editor for The New York Times. Anyone wishing to drop a note to Jones can do so at davidjones@home.com.
Andrew M. O'Hearn, formerly a features writer for The Daily Collegian from 1981 to 1982 and a graduate of PSU in 1983, won a Best of Show award for External Publications from the Insurance Marketing Communications Association at its annual conference in Hilton Head, S.C., on June 27, 2000. O'Hearn was elected to IMCA's board of directors for a two-year term.
Earlier this year, O'Hearn won "best of show" awards from the New Jersey Communications, Advertising and Marketing Association and also the Business Marketing Association, New Jersey chapter.
He is managing editor for Atlantic Mutual Companies in Madison, N.J., and has completed his master's in corporate and public communications from Seton Hall University, South Orange, N.J., Spring 2001.
Editor's Note: If you have an item of interest to share, contact Patti Hartranft by calling (814) 865-2531, emailing pah12@psu.edu, or sending a letter to The Collegian Insider, James Building, 123 S. Burrowes St., University Park, PA 16801-3882.
