Owen Keith Ball, BJ ’41, died on April 25, 2014, of natural causes. He worked for the Louisville Courier-Journal in Kentucky (1946-50) and the Binghamton Press in New York (1950-51). Ball then worked at the Miami News in Florida from 1951-63, serving as editor for his last two years there. During this time the paper published stories revealing that the Soviet Union was installing missile launching pads and basing large numbers of MIG-21 aircraft in Cuba, actions that ultimately led to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. The Miami News’ reporting on these activities earned the paper the 1963 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. Ball and his wife purchased the Canyon Courier in Evergreen, Colorado, in 1963, and published it until their retirement in 1974.

Updated: July 23, 2014