FORT MORGAN, Colo.—It’s the end of a century for the Fort Morgan Times—that is the first time in 100 years there will be no Spencer family member running the paper.
William Holland, publisher, announced the retirement of Bill Spencer, longtime editor.
“2007 marks the end of the 100th consecutive year a Spencer family member has been continuously employed with The Times, beginning with R.B. Spencer, Bill’s grandfather. Bill’s father, Robert W. Spencer, followed R.B., then Bill took the reins. Truly an admirable milestone, one I have never known of before at any business in any town where I’ve previously resided, said Holland.
With Sue, his wife, at his side, Spencer made his announcement to the entire staff stating he would be leaving the end of the year.
Spencer jokingly added, “You’ll have to put up with me for six more weeks.” Spencer said he and Sue were making plans for a move in the spring to their second home in San Diego, Calif., far from the high plains winds and chills. The move will allow them to be closer to their son, daughter-in-law and twin grandchildren who live in Tucson, Ariz.
“Bill Spencer hired me in 1973 when I was ending my service in the U.S. Air Force and newspaper jobs were hard to come by,” said John La Porte, Times news editor. “We became more than professional colleagues; we became friends.”
Spencer, a Fort Morgan native, graduated from Fort Morgan High School and received a degree in political science with a minor in journalism from the University of Colorado in Boulder in 1960.
After a two-year stint in the U.S. Navy, he worked from 1962 to 1966 for the Ventura County, Calif., Star-Free Press as a reporter, wire editor and assistant city editor and as editor of the Simi Valley Sun, which was owned by the same group as the Star-Free Press. He returned to Fort Morgan as editor of The Times.
The Spencer family owned The Times through three generations, from 1907 until 1988, when the paper was sold.
“The Times has already began its search for Bill’s replacement. With Bill’s history from birth to today at the newspaper, our search won’t be an easy task,” Holland said. The Times hopes to have its new editor on board no later than the middle of January.
