Los Angeles County
Biographies
ROBERT
P. STUDER
So
intense was his desire to become a newspaperman after graduation from school in
the latter days of the Great Depression, he worked for nothing for a publisher
for six months so that he could qualify as an experienced man in the then-tight
labor market.
Robert
P. Studer, who is now managing editor of the Alhambra Post-Advocate, has never lost love of journalism and
writing.
Mr.
Studer, who is editor-in-chief of this Alhambra,
Monterey Park, San Gabriel Community Book and
wrote the history portion of the book, has been an active newspaperman for more
than 23 years.
In
was early in 1938, after having worked for several months in an electrical
heating company factory (long enough to convince him that such a means of
livelihood held no interest for him) that Mr. Studer was laid off in one of the
firm’s periodic labor retrenchments.
“It
was the most fortunate ‘misfortune’ of my life,” he now recalls. “While in school, I had served as
editor-in-chief of the Elgin High School Mirror
and had loved every minute of it. I
determined to make journalism my career, even though I was ill prepared for it
at the time. . .
Newspaper
jobs were almost impossible to find, however.
Experienced men were having difficulty finding employment; what chance
did I have, an inexperienced kid?”
But
Mr. Studer struck up a bargain with W. Key Maxwell, then-publisher of the Fullerton News-Tribune in Orange
County. He would work for nothing for
the News-Tribune in exchange for a
chance to learn.
The
arrangement lasted for six months, with Mr. Studer driving the 25 miles to
Fullerton from Alhambra each day. He
learned many jobs – reported news, assisted the society editor, wrote
headlines, edited copy, helped the circulation manager, swept the floor and
even collected delinquent bills on the side (for 10 per cent of what he could
collect) and by the end of the six-month period was making around $18 a week.
In
the meantime he had for months been pestering Clayton I. Ward, long-time editor
of the Alhambra Post-Advocate, for a
job.
In
August, 1938, he received a telephone call from Mr. Ward: A job as copy boy (lowest position in the
editorial department) was open on the Post-Advocate;
did he want it?
Mr.
Studer leaped at the chance. The
pay: $12 a week.
In
succeeding years, he learned photography by helping Post-Advocate photographer Jerry Torres in his spare time, and when
Torres left to devote full time to his El Poche
restaurant in San Gabriel, succeeded him as staff photographer. He served in this position for three years
before switching to writing and reporting.
He then covered the Monterey Park, the San Gabriel-Temple City, and the
Alhambra news beats before being promoted to a desk position as photo editor
and suburban editor.
In
1949, he was named assistant managing editor under then-managing editor Warner
Jenkins, a position he held until May of 1959 when he succeeded Jenkins as head
of the Post-Advocate’s editorial
department.
During
the past two-and-a-half years that he has guided the editorial department, the Post-Advocate has won six major
journalistic awards. Mr. Studer,
himself, was honored by the Copley Press in 1960 for having written the best
local editorial among the Copley Los Angeles area newspapers.
He
also has been active in civic and community work and was honored by the Civitan Club in September of 1961 as Alhambra’s outstanding
citizen of the month.
He
has served as president of the Alhambra Downtown Improvement Association, is
currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Alhambra Chamber of
Commerce, member of the chamber executive board and of three chamber
committees; served six years on the Alhambra Red Cross Chapter board of
directors, two years on the board of the Alhambra Family Guidance Center; three
years as a member of the United Fund budget committee. He is a member of the Rotary Club. Under his leadership, the Post-Advocate has ever given its fullest
support to every worthwhile community project.
Mr.
Studer also is active in professional circles.
He is a member of Sigma Delta Chi, professional journalistic society; is
president of the Managing Editors’ Association of the Copley Los Angeles
Newspapers; is secretary of the Southern California Division of the Associated
Press News Executives’ Council.
In
his spare time, he does free-lance writing; is a “ham” radio operator with the
station call K6HRV; enjoys amateur photography and “fussing around” in his home
woodworking shop.
Mr.
Studer was born in Elgin, Illinois, on April 22, 1919, and has resided in
Alhambra and vicinity since 1937. He and
his wife, Joanne, own their home in Rosemead.
They have a son, Robert Paul, Jr.
Mr. Studer also has two other children, Barbara Joanne and James Robert.
Transcribed
by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Historical Volume &
Reference Works Including Alhambra, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel &
Temple City, by Robert P. Studer, Pages
355-356, Historical Publ., Los Angeles,
California. 1962.
© 2012 V.
Gerald Iaquinta.
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