Interview: William E. Jones
Date of Interview: June 4, 2010
Place of Interview: Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Interviewer: Ford Risley
Biographical Summary
William E. Jones was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on April 2, 1931. He graduated from Conemaugh Township Area High School and, two days after commencement, began working as a copy boy for the Johnstown Democrat. After a year, he became a reporter. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1952 and served as a public information specialist at Brooke Army Medical Center. After two years, he was discharged and returned to Johnstown. The city’s two newspapers, the Democrat and Tribune, had merged. During the next 40 years, he held a variety of responsibilities, including religion reporter and courthouse reporter. He served for five years as editor of the Windberg Era, a weekly paper published by the parent company of the Tribune-Democrat. He also wrote a weekly column for the Tribune-Democrat for many years.
Interview Highlights
Jones speaks about his family; about attending school in Conemaugh Township; about joining the Democrat as a copy boy after high school; about being a cub reporter; about his service in the U.S. Army; about the various positions he held at the Tribune-Democrat; about being editor of the Windberg Era; and about how the newspaper changed during his long career.
Click below to hear a clip of William E. Jones' interview.