The Missouri Miner: Editors-in-Chief: Daniel E. Groteke

Research Project: 100 years of
The Missouri Miner 1915-2015

Est'd. 1915, Fred Grotts, Founder

Daniel E. Groteke
EIC 1953-1954

This exchange is pieced together from several e-mail interviews occurring between February of 2007 and the present.
Words in brackets have been added for continuity due to this piecing process. -RB

RB: From when to when were you Editor-in-Chief of the Missouri Miner? What other positions did you hold while working on the Missouri Miner staff?

DG: From the 1953-54 period. Prior to that I served as Sports Editor.

RB: You were preceded as EIC by Ted Algermissen, who served from 1952-1953, and followed by Joseph Lasyna, who served from 1954-1955. Both of these gentlemen have unfortunately passed away. Do you have any memories of either of these gentlemen?

DG: Ted Algermissen was a nice guy, and a member of Theta Kappa Phi fraternity. They had kept the position of Editor in Chief in that house for a number of years, until I broke their string. After my tenure, they regained the job with Lasyna (whom I knew only slightly).

RB: What were the biggest challenges you faced as Editor-in-Chief of the Missouri Miner?

DG: Getting support from correspondents who were more concerned with their studies than working on a college newspaper.

RB: What were your greatest accomplishments as Editor-in-Chief of the Missouri Miner? What issues were most important to you?

DG: Meeting the publishing deadline while filling the newspaper with enough content to meet the needs and interests of the student body.

RB: Where was the newspaper's office? What equipment did you use to produce the paper each week?

DG: The paper was published weekly in the offices of the local weekly newspaper. There was no "office" of the Miner at that time, and everyone worked out of their local accommodations. The copy was gathered up and delivered to the newspaper where all articles were set by a linotype operator after proofreading for content and accuracy. We laid out the paper by hand working from a previous plan on Thursday morning (putting the lead type in blocks, and filling gaps with ads and jokes), and went to press at about 3:00 PM.

RB: What "big" stories are most memorable to you and why?

DG: None come to mind after 53 [years] away from the experiences. The most fun to work on was the April Fool's edition, where we could let our imaginations run wild.

RB: How significant a role do you feel you and the Missouri Miner played in campus life during your tenure as Editor-in-Chief?

DG: At the time we filed a student need for information on the various campus activities including social, sports, and general school information. Our average student was probably older than most following years because we still had a percentage of returning vets. These were primarily interested in getting the maximum from their college years, and were a stabilizing influence on the student body.

RB: How did your time as Editor-in-Chief of the Missouri Miner help prepare you for life after college? What lessons did you learn?

DG: I learned to work with deadlines and honed the skills of general leadership of voluntary reporters. The writing experience has also proven to be very helpful in my professional career, and provided the basics for something like 55 publications over the span of a 52-year career.

RB: What was your staff like at the Miner?

DG: They were a good bunch that for the most part received no compensation for long hours spent on Miner work. I was paid as Editor-in-Chief, as was the Business Manager. All other positions were unpaid and staffed by volunteers. If memory serves me right, [my pay] was $600 for the year, and that was a real help in paying school bills. [My] prior service as Sports Editor was unpaid. [Most staff members'] only return was the satisfaction of seeing a professional paper run off the presses on a weekly basis.

RB: How would you describe your management style?

DG: I believe that you have to be a type A individual to even consider undertaking the job of the Editorship. Along with that attitude, you have to temper it with some real people skills to get the job done.

RB: Describe your relationship with the administration at UMR.

DG: At the time, they gave us free rein on the paper, with absolutely no interference or pressure in any way.

RB: Describe your relationship with Student Council at UMR.

DG: Ditto.

RB: Summarize your thoughts and feelings about your time as Editor-in-Chief of the Missouri Miner.

DG: I feel that the lessons learned were a major factor in shaping my career, and found it to be a very rewarding experience.