Spangler, Raymond Luper

Spangler, Raymond Luper

Male 1904 - 1997  (93 years)

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  • Name Spangler, Raymond Luper 
    Birth 23 Jan 1904  California Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Gender Male 
    Census 15 Apr 1910  Oakland Ward 7, Alameda, California Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Age: 6y 
    Address:
    3218 School St. 
    Occupation 15 Apr 1910  Oakland Ward 7, Alameda, California Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    None 
    Census 1 Jan 1920  South San Francisco, San Mateo, California Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Age: 15y 
    Census 1 Apr 1940  South San Francisco, San Mateo, California Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Age: 36y 
    Address:
    210 Eucolyptus 
    Occupation 1 Apr 1940  South San Francisco, San Mateo, California Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    City Editor 
    • Industry: Newspaper
      Class of worker: Wage or salary worker in private work
    Death 21 Sep 1997  Redwood City, San Mateo, California Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Published in SF Chronicle Tuesday, September 23, 1997

      Raymond Spangler of Redwood City, a force in Peninsula journalism for eight decades and a former president of the Society of Professional Journalists, died Sunday at the age of 93.

      Born Jan. 23, 1904, in Oakland, Mr. Spangler died in a local hospital after breaking a hip in a fall this month.

      Mr. Spangler began his career at South San Francisco High, where he passed out a newspaper he wrote by hand on butcher paper. He enrolled at Stanford University in 1920 and became editor of the Stanford Daily.

      During prohibition, he worked for the South San Francisco Enterprise and the South San Francisco Journal, writing stories supporting municipal reform at a time when bootleggers corrupted local politics.

      In 1937, he joined the Redwood City Tribune as courthouse reporter and began writing a column, titled "Under the Courthouse Dome." He wrote some 7,000 columns over 32 years, offering background and opinions on such issues as the explosive growth during the post-World War II years.

      Mr. Spangler served in the Army on the eve of World War II, helping to build Fort McQuaid near Monterey. During the war, he served in the U.S. Coast Guard Temporary Reserve.

      He became editor and publisher of the Tribune in 1945. He relinquished his job as editor and remained publisher until 1968.

      Mr. Spangler served on the board of directors of the Associated Press from 1951-61 and was national president of Sigma Delta Chi, now known as the Society of Professional Journalists, in 1966. He led the fight to admit women to its membership.

      Throughout his career, he fought for open trials, access to public records and preservation of the First Amendment. After he retired in 1969, he was chairman of the California Freedom of Information Committee.

      While retired, Mr. Spangler taught at local colleges and wrote about San Mateo County politics for three weekly newspapers until 1992.

      Mr. Spangler and his wife, Nita, also fought to preserve lands around the Peninsula from development. The former Nita Reifschneider worked at the Tribune as a police reporter before the two married in 1946. The couple were to have celebrated their 51st anniversary yesterday.

      In addition to his wife, Mr. Spangler is survived by his sons, Jon of Palo Alto and Thor of Albuquerque, N.M.; a daughter, Mary Spangler of Redwood City; his sisters, Edna Harks of South San Francisco and Althea Evarts of San Bruno; and five grandchildren.

      Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. September 30 at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Redwood City.

      The family suggests donations to St. Peter's, 178 Clinton St., Redwood City 94061 or to the San Mateo County Historical Society, 1700 W. Hillsdale Blvd., San Mateo 94402 for a fund to convert the old courthouse in Redwood City to a museum.
    Person ID I580  Bratt Family Tree
    Last Modified 14 Jun 2016 

    Father Spangler, Martin Luper,   b. 7 Jul 1878, Oregon, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 16 Dec 1941, San Mateo, San Mateo County, California Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 63 years) 
    Mother Raymond, Myra,   b. 4 Nov 1880, Oregon, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 26 Dec 1961, San Mateo, San Mateo County, California Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 81 years) 
    Marriage Yes, date unknown 
    Family ID F294  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Reifschneider, N. 
    Children 
     1. Spangler, J.
     2. Spangler, M.
     3. Spangler, T.
    Family ID F296  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 17 Jul 2016 

  • Photos
    Spangler, Raymond Luper
    Spangler, Raymond Luper
    Keywords: Picture

  • Sources 
    1. [S317] Spangler, Marton Luper, 1940, Census, USA, South San Francisco, San Mateo, California, (Year: 1940; Census Place: South San Francisco, San Mateo, California; Roll: T627_329; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 41-20).

    2. [S318] Spangler, Marton Luper, 1910, Census, USA, Oakland Ward 7, Alameda, California, (Year: 1910; Census Place: Oakland Ward 7, Alameda, California; Roll: T624_71; Page: 17A; Enumeration District: 0024; FHL microfilm: 1374084).

    3. [S319] Spangler, Marton Luper, 1920, Census, USA, South San Francisco, San Mateo, California, (Year: 1920; Census Place: South San Francisco, San Mateo, California; Roll: T625_145; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 65; Image: 214).