Community journalism lost a good friend this week. For nearly 80 years, Illinois native Donovan Kramer Sr. was a part of the newspaper industry, fulfilling every task from paper delivery to publisher. He grew up as the son of a newspaper owner and studied journalism at the University of Illinois, graduating in 1948, becoming editor and publisher of the Fairbury (Ill.) Blade and Forrest (Ill.) News.
Last Sunday, Kramer Sr. saw his last paper published, dying due to complications from pulmonary and renal failure. Kramer was 84.
“I met Don 20 years ago when his children were attending school at the University of Arizona. He was a great leader in Arizona journalism and understood the importance of community journalism,” said Jacqueline Sharkey, director of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
Kramer initially came to the Casa Grande area with his wife in the early 60s to enquire about the purchase of the weekly paper known as the Dispatch only to find the paper was not for sale at the time. So they returned to Illinois until opportunity called in a most unusual way.
“My youngest son accidentally shot me and put me in the hospital,” Kramer Sr. said in an interview in May 2008 with the Cronkite News Service. “While I was in there, I got a couple of Editor and Publisher (magazines). There’s this ad: ‘Southwest weekly paper for sale;’ The Casa Grande Dispatch, just the paper I had been looking at.”
Kramer Sr. bought the weekly newspaper in December 1962 and moved to Arizona in the spring of 1963 to take the reins. The family converted the paper to a twice-weekly publication in 1963 and to a daily in the 1970s.
In addition to the Dispatch, the Kramer’s purchased non-daily newspapers in Eloy, Coolidge, Florence and the White Mountains, and later added papers in Arizona City and locally, The Maricopa Monitor.
While operating the newspapers across Pinal County was his passion, it wasn’t the only involvement Kramer had in the industry.
He served on the journalism advisor board for the University of Arizona, giving input on what he thought was essential for training young journalist. “His illness kept him out of meetings for the past several years, but he was always with us in spirit,” Sharkey said.
Kramer was a member of the Arizona Newspapers Association and became its president in 1980. ANA named him a Master Editor-Publisher in 1976. He was inducted into the Arizona Newspaper Hall of Fame in 1998 and was honored by the Phoenix Chapter of Society of Professional Journalists for his work in community journalism in 2006.
However, Kramer was much more than a newspaperman. Here are some of his work and accomplishments:
• He was interested in economic development and worked to bring new jobs to Pinal County when 2,500 copper mining jobs were lost in 1977.
• He was a member of the advisory board of the Office of Economic Planning and Development (now called the Department of Commerce) for 12 years and was chairman in 1977.
• He served on the State Transportation Board and helped persuade state highway officials to add an Interstate 8 interchange at Casa Grande.
• He was founding president of the Greater Casa Grande Valley Economic Development Foundation, now the Central Arizona Regional Economic Development Foundation, and president of the Casa Grande Industrial Development Authority.
• He was one of the driving forces in developing Casa Grande’s first business park, the Valley Industrial Park along VIP Boulevard on the city’s west side.
• He worked extensively on attracting such major employers as Abbott Laboratories, Frito-Lay and Meredith/Burda, and the city’s Donovan M. Kramer Sr. Industrial Park at the city’s airport was named in his honor.
Donavan also played an influential part in the lives of many Maricopa residents, including one of the city’s first school superintendents, Alma Farrell.
“I worked for Don for four years while attending Arizona State University as a copy editor and receptionist,” Farrell said. “He was a very inspirational person that supported the education of his employees. And once I became superintendent, he would always provide the news coverage for events at our schools. We will miss him.”
Kramer is survived by his wife, two sons, two daughters, a brother and four grandchildren.
Visitation will begin at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at First Assembly of God, 501 E. Kortsen Road, Casa Grande. The funeral will follow at 2:30 p.m., with the Rev. Tom Stephens of Central Lutheran Church officiating. A military graveside service will be held in Mountain View Cemetery. A reception will follow at the Cooper & Rueter Law Offices, 221 N. Florence St., Casa Grande.
Memorial contributions may be made to: Central Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 677, Arizona City, AZ 85123, or School of Journalism, c/o Kate Harrison, P.O. Box 210158b, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721.
Photo submitted by Donovan Kramer Jr.
