Editor: He served as president of two national editors associations and posed the question that led former President Richard Nixon to declare ''I am not a crook'' at the height of the Watergate scandal.He was founding editor of The Oak Ridger (TN)newspaper, president of the Associated Press Managing Editors Association from 1973 to 74 and president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors from 1984 to 1985. During the 1973 APME convention in Orlando, Florida, he asked Nixon during a press conference about the huge demands on the presidency. ''To what extent do you think this explains possibly how something like Watergate can occur?'' he asked. Nixon said he had been busy with a trip to China and the Vietnam War but said, ''The man at the top has got to take the heat. ... '' He talked for several more minutes about his personal finances (in response to an earlier question about his income tax returns), then concluded, ''People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook.'' Nixon resigned nine months later. Mr. Smyser was a Pulitzer Prize juror for four years and judge of the APME Public Service Awards for four years. He was a graduate of Penn State University, was born in York PA. He died in Oak Ridge, TN
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Richard David Smyser, 81, of Oak Ridge, died Monday, March 14, 2005, at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge. Mr. Smyser is survived by two daughters,Lucy Tashman and husband, Ira, of Decatur, Ga., and Katherine Smyser McAleer, and her husband, V.J., of Highland Park, Ill.; seven grandchildren; Michael, Paul and Nathan Tashman of Decatur, Ga., and Ally, Quinn, Mariel and Shea McAleer
of Highland Park, Ill.; and by his sister, Alice Raphel of Monkton, Md. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 19, 2005, at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church with Jake Marrill presiding. A reception will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, 1051 Oak Ridge
Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830; the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association Chamber Music Series, 205 Badger Ave., Oak Ridge, TN 37830; or the American Society of
Newspaper Editors Foundation, 11690 B Sunrise Valley Dr., Reston, VA 20191-1409. Martin Oak Ridge Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
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Richard David Smyser, 81, of Oak Ridge, died Monday, March 14, 2005, at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge. Mr. Smyser is survived by two daughters,Lucy Tashman and husband, Ira, of Decatur, Ga., and Katherine Smyser McAleer, and her husband, V.J., of Highland Park, Ill.; seven grandchildren; Michael, Paul and Nathan Tashman of Decatur, Ga., and Ally, Quinn, Mariel and Shea McAleer
of Highland Park, Ill.; and by his sister, Alice Raphel of Monkton, Md. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 19, 2005, at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church with Jake Marrill presiding. A reception will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, 1051 Oak Ridge
Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830; the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association Chamber Music Series, 205 Badger Ave., Oak Ridge, TN 37830; or the American Society of
Newspaper Editors Foundation, 11690 B Sunrise Valley Dr., Reston, VA 20191-1409. Martin Oak Ridge Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Editor: He served as president of two national editors associations and posed the question that led former President Richard Nixon to declare ''I am not a crook'' at the height of the Watergate scandal.He was founding editor of The Oak Ridger (TN)newspaper, president of the Associated Press Managing Editors Association from 1973 to 74 and president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors from 1984 to 1985. During the 1973 APME convention in Orlando, Florida, he asked Nixon during a press conference about the huge demands on the presidency. ''To what extent do you think this explains possibly how something like Watergate can occur?'' he asked. Nixon said he had been busy with a trip to China and the Vietnam War but said, ''The man at the top has got to take the heat. ... '' He talked for several more minutes about his personal finances (in response to an earlier question about his income tax returns), then concluded, ''People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook.'' Nixon resigned nine months later. Mr. Smyser was a Pulitzer Prize juror for four years and judge of the APME Public Service Awards for four years. He was a graduate of Penn State University, was born in York PA. He died in Oak Ridge, TN
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Richard David Smyser, 81, of Oak Ridge, died Monday, March 14, 2005, at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge. Mr. Smyser is survived by two daughters,Lucy Tashman and husband, Ira, of Decatur, Ga., and Katherine Smyser McAleer, and her husband, V.J., of Highland Park, Ill.; seven grandchildren; Michael, Paul and Nathan Tashman of Decatur, Ga., and Ally, Quinn, Mariel and Shea McAleer
of Highland Park, Ill.; and by his sister, Alice Raphel of Monkton, Md. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 19, 2005, at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church with Jake Marrill presiding. A reception will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, 1051 Oak Ridge
Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830; the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association Chamber Music Series, 205 Badger Ave., Oak Ridge, TN 37830; or the American Society of
Newspaper Editors Foundation, 11690 B Sunrise Valley Dr., Reston, VA 20191-1409. Martin Oak Ridge Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
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Richard David Smyser, 81, of Oak Ridge, died Monday, March 14, 2005, at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge. Mr. Smyser is survived by two daughters,Lucy Tashman and husband, Ira, of Decatur, Ga., and Katherine Smyser McAleer, and her husband, V.J., of Highland Park, Ill.; seven grandchildren; Michael, Paul and Nathan Tashman of Decatur, Ga., and Ally, Quinn, Mariel and Shea McAleer
of Highland Park, Ill.; and by his sister, Alice Raphel of Monkton, Md. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 19, 2005, at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church with Jake Marrill presiding. A reception will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, 1051 Oak Ridge
Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830; the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association Chamber Music Series, 205 Badger Ave., Oak Ridge, TN 37830; or the American Society of
Newspaper Editors Foundation, 11690 B Sunrise Valley Dr., Reston, VA 20191-1409. Martin Oak Ridge Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
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