11/11/2013

Ohio's longest-serving journalist keeps on writing at age 95

By Katie Nix, ONA Intern

Veteran’s Day this year marks the 95th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended World War I. It also marks the 95th birthday of Persh Rohrer, a weekly bowling and golf correspondent for the Record-Courier in Portage County, likely making him the oldest working journalist in Ohio, if not in the country.

“Journalists know that assumption is always dangerous, but we believe it is a safe bet that Persh Rohrer is the longest-serving working journalist not only in Ohio but also in the United States,” said Dennis Hetzel, executive director of the Ohio Newspaper Association (ONA). The ONA recently sent Rohrer a proclamation honoring him for his contributions to journalism, as did Ohio Governor John Kasich.

Rohrer said he is currently working on weekly bowling articles in which leagues send him their scores, and he writes the articles from home before sending them in an email to the person who does the layout.

“All of this digital stuff makes it so much easier on me, not like the old days when it was all in print,” Rohrer said. “That all changed after I retired from full-time sports editor, though, and has probably been the biggest change in newspapers I’ve ever seen.”

Rohrer became the sports editor of the Record-Courier over 60 years ago in 1952 after a stint at the Defiance Crescent-News, another Dix Communications publication, as its sports editor. While working as the sports editor, Rohrer covered many different sports including, professional football, boxing, hockey and baseball.

“Baseball was always so hard to cover due to the necessary quick turnaround of having a game everyday,” Rohrer said. “You basically only attended games and wrote the articles about the game. Sleep was a benefit.”

Rohrer said he also covered an NHL title game during his time as a reporter. The game featured Gordie Howe, whom he regards as one of the greatest players of all time, of the Detroit Red Wings.

Rohrer said he also got to see Muhammad Ali fight in an exhibition match in Cleveland. “He was the greatest the sport would ever see and I got to see him win,” Rohrer said. “It was amazing.”

However, Rohrer said that his favorite event he ever covered was the 1964 NFL Championship Game. The game featured the Baltimore Colts against the Cleveland Browns, the last time the team made a championship appearance. “The game was at Cleveland that year and I had been covering [the Browns] all season,” Rohrer said. “It was tied 0-0 at the half and everyone was getting really excited. In the second half of the game, though, Gary Collins [the Cleveland Browns receiver] caught three touchdown passes and with a couple of field goals the Browns ended up winning 27-0. Seeing a shutout is pretty amazing.”

Rohrer said that he, as well as the other reporters who covered the Browns, were given money clips in commemoration of the game. “I still have it,” Rohrer said proudly.

Even though Rohrer covered many sports that are still popular today, there has been one major change in the world of sports that Rohrer said still blows his mind.

“There are so many women’s sports now,” Rohrer said. “That definitely wasn’t the case when I started. There wasn’t any, but now there’s volleyball, swimming and soccer among other things. It completely revolutionized sports.” Rohrer said the change occurred mostly towards the end of his tenure as sports editor for the Record-Courier. He retired from this full-time position in 1990.

“I was getting too old for that much stress,” Rohrer said. “There was an opening for a bowling and golf correspondent and they offered it to me. It was so much less pressure so I decided to take it.”

After Rohrer’s retirement, the Record-Courier went through five sports editors before Tom Nader, the current sports editor, took over in 2007. “Tom’s a good guy doing a really great job at the paper,” Rohrer said. “They’re lucky to have him.”

Nader also has positive things to say about Rohrer. “When you think about him being hired in 1952, he has worked for the company for 62 years,” Nader said. “So there is a huge chunk of our readership that has never read our newspaper in their entire lives without Persh being a part of it. That is incredible.”

Nader said Rohrer does not let his age affect his work. In Rohrer’s columns, known as “Rohrering Through Bowling” or Rohrering Through Golf” depending on the sport he is covering, he focuses on the details and getting the story correct while also making the story an interesting one.

“He still has tremendous perspective in regards to decision making, prioritizing, establishing sources and growing relationships and so much more about the industry,” Nader said. “What is great, and maybe better than the journalistic knowledge he shares, is simply talking to him about daily life occurrences. His views on life, family and the world is inspirational.”

Rohrer said he hopes to continue working at the Record-Courier as long as he is healthy and has given no thought to retiring at this time.