Former Oregonian Publisher Fred Stickel Dies at 93

Stickel's 2009 retirement marked the end of an era where The Oregonian protected its employees from mass layoffs.

Fred Stickel, the former Oregonian publisher who worked 34 years at the helm of the state's largest newspaper, died today. He was 93.

Stickel was adored by staffers at The Oregonian, where he oversaw the paper's merger with the Oregon Journal in 1982, took an editorial-page stand to protect gay rights in the Oregon Constitution in 1992, and led The O's transition into the Internet age. Oregonian staff reporter Bryan Denson penned a fine obituary today.

Stickel retired in 2009—and his departure marked the end of an era where The Oregonian protected its employees from mass layoffs. Soon after his retirement, the paper's New York-based owners, Advance Publications Inc., began their first round of deep newsroom cuts.

As WW reported in 2013:

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