Schuster, Richard J.

SCHUSTER, SUMMER

Posted By: John Schulte (email)
Date: 10/20/2005 at 12:30:27

Clinton Herald

Richard J. Schuster, former president and publisher of the Nevada State Journal and the Reno Evening Gazette, passed away on October 9, 2005 at his home. He was born in Dubuque, Iowa August 23, 1927, the son of Hilda C. (Summer) and Lester J. Schuster.

He attended parochial and public schools in Clinton, Iowa and Shattuck School, Faribault, MN. Following high school graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in 1945 and 1946,. He returned to the University of Iowa where he graduated in 1950 with a degree in business administration.

He later attended three journalism management seminars at the American Press Institute at Columbia University, New York City. On January 22, 1951, he married his high school sweetheart, Rae Ann Subcleff. They had two daughters, Patricia (Mrs. Robert) Colon of Elko, Joan (Mrs. William) Silvershield, a son, David (Marla) Schuster, four granddaughters, two grandsons, a step-grandson and two greatgrandsons.

He is also survived by his brother, John T. (Lou) Schuster of South Carolina. He started his first newspaper carrier route at the age of 9 years, and at age 14, he began working summers as an apprentice pressman at the daily Clinton Herald. During his college years he worked summers and weekends, first as an advertising salesman and then a reporter-photographer. Following college graduation, he began working full time as a reporter-photographer in all phases of general news coverage. After three years, he was promoted to business manager, and served in that capacity for the next 10 years.

In 1963, he was recruited by Speidel Newspapers Inc., and moved to Reno as promotion manager of the Journal and Gazette. In 1966, he was transferred to Fremont, Nebraska, as president and publisher of the daily Fremont Tribune. After three years there, he returned to Reno as president and publisher of the Journal and Gazette. While in Fremont, he doubled the capacity of the presses and expanded the classified advertising pages and the general news pages.

In Reno, he oversaw the transition from hot metal production and letterpress printing to computerized type production and lithographic printing. The Gazette-Journal presses were the first double width, high speed presses to be converted to direct lithography in North America. They served until the new Gazette-Journal center was built several years later. Schuster had firm belief in the first amendment rights guaranteed by the constitution to the press and the public. In the early 1970's, he sued District Judge Grant Bowen over prior restraint. Bowen had issued a restraining order against Gazette-Journal reporters gathering news.

The next year he appeared before the Nevada State Legislature to lobby successfully for a shield law to protect reporters from disclosing news sources. He was active in many news oriented organizations. He served two terms as president of the Nebraska Outstate Daily Publishers Associa tion. He served in several capacities in the Nevada Press Association, the American Newspaper Publishers Association, the Inland Daily Press Association, and the California Newspaper Publishers Associa tion. He was a frequent speaker at the Institute of newspaper Control lers and Finance Officers and the Production Management Department of the ANPA. He co-produced the first national DiLitho Users Group seminar in Kansas City. For many years, he was a member of the Pro fessional Advisory Board of the University of Iowa School of Journal ism and Mass Communications. Schuster devoted more than 60 years to the Boy Scout program.

He joined as a Scout in 1938, and after graduation from college in 1950, he resumed as an adult Scouter with the Mesquakie Area Council in Clin ton, Iowa. When that Council merged with another, he served as vicepresident. In Fremont, Nebraska, he was appointed a District Chairman of the Med-America Council, Omaha. He received the District Award of Merit in 1968.

Upon his return to Reno, he rejoined the Nevada Area Council, where he was awarded the Silver Beaver Medal in 1973. He served two terms as council President in 1977 and 1978, and continued on the Executive Board and later the Advisory Committee for many years.

In 1980, he joined a committee to attempt to organize a public televi sion station. The effort was successful, and Schuster served as chair man of the board in 1983, when KNPB, Channel 5, went on the air. In 1995, he was named an honorary lifetime member of the Channel 5 Board of Trustees.

He was also active in many organizations in the three communities where he resided over the years. He was a member of Kiwanis and was club president in Clinton in 1959. He was selected as Clinton's Out standing Young Man by the JayCees in 1962. He served on the boards of the Clinton and Fremont Kiwanis Clubs and the Kiwanis Club of Reno. He was active in the three United Way units, and in the United Way of Northern Nevada he was loaned executive in 1964, general campaign chairman in 1965 and president in 1973. He served on the boards of St. Marys's Regional Medical Center, the Salvation Army, RENOvation, Greater Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce, Nevada State Fair, the Reno Chapter of the Navy League of the U.S. and Fre mont Development Group ant the Legislative Relations Steering Com mittee of the University of Nevada-Reno. He was amember of the Our Lady of the Snows Parish, BPOElks, the AMVETS, The American Legion, the Reno Banjo Club, the Reno Bar bershop Chorus, and the Reno Chapter of the Family Motor Coach As sociation. Long time interests include extensive travel, music, skiing, sailing, photography and wood working.

A Memorial Mass will be held on Thursday, October 13, 2005 at 2:00pm at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church. Private inurnment will be held at Mountain View Cemetery. Memorial Contributions may be made to ”Columbia University ALS Gift Fund“, c/o Columbia Uni versity Medical Center, Development Office, 100 Haven Avenue, Suite 29D, New York, NY 10032. The family invites you to send a condo lence message in the ”Family Guestbook“ at the website www.waltonsfuneralhomes.com. Arrangements are under the direction of Walton Funeral Home in Reno.

Richard J. Schuster

Reno, Nevada

August 23, 1927 - October 9, 2005