By Tim Stephens, The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Chuck Landon covered Heisman Trophy candidates, major bowl games and interviewed the biggest stars in sports.
Some of his most cherished days, though, were spent as a college student writing for the Parthenon, Marshall University’s newspaper.
“It might be when I was made sports editor of the Parthenon the first time,” Landon said of his fondest memory of a 53-year career in journalism. “I walked in as a second-semester journalism student, and I told them my name and told them I was there to volunteer for whatever they need. They just kept trusting me with more and more and more.”
That was the start of a career during which Landon won awards, broke major stories and sparked a wide range of emotions in readers. Landon’s career has now come to an end, as he announced his retirement from HD Media, owner of The Herald-Dispatch and Charleston Gazette-Mail, among other newspapers.
Landon, 71, suffered a stroke last summer, causing him to crash his pickup truck. His physical injuries were minor, but the stroke altered his ability to communicate via the written word.