During high school , he started off as a part-time sports reporter in his hometown making five dollars a game . He applied to work for more than fifty newspapers , but only one called him back for an interview . In 1956 , he joined the '' Akron Beacon Journal '' at age 28 and was a reporter on the state desk . He would be the first black editor at the journal , and would inspire more minorities to join in his field . He was among the first African Americans to be admitted into the American Society of News Editors . His award-winning coverage of the Kent State Shooting made him well known following his promotion to news editor . In 1973 , he was the African American to run a newsroom after his next promotion to managing editor , and then four years later he was named executive editor . When the Knight Ridder , which owned the '' Akron Beacon Journal '' , was informed by letter from Fitzpatrick about the absence of diversity on the workforce , the company actually offered him a job as director of minority affairs . After two years , he became vice president of minority affairs and worked in that capacity for another seven years at Knight Ridder . He taught at Kent State University and was an interim chairman at Howard University from 2001-2002 . During his twenty-nine year career , he managed to hold every position in a newspaper staff
Kent State Shooting
Kent State shootings
Albert Fitzpatrick