Publisher, The Frederick News-Post
1950-2004
Inducted into MDDC’s Hall of Fame in 2008.
George E. Randall was a great-grandson of William T. Delaplaine Sr., who, in 1883 founded the newspaper that has evolved today into The Frederick News-Post, the sole remaining exclusively family-owned newspaper in Maryland. Robert E. Delaplaine, Mr. Randall’s grandfather and co publisher of the paper, was inducted in 1954. George B. Delaplaine Jr., Mr. Randall’s uncle and editor and publisher of The Frederick News-Post, was inducted in 1993.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in history from Lynchburg College in Virginia in 1972, Mr. Randall earned a master’s degree in photojournalism in 1975 from Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., and then worked for four years as a reporter for the Lynchburg News & Advance.
In 1982 he was awarded a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Puget Sound Law School in Tacoma, Wash., and was admitted to the Maryland bar the following year.
In 1983, he returned to Frederick and joined The News-Post as assistant managing editor and legal counsel. Three years later he became the paper’s general manager.
When his family put The Frederick News-Post up for sale in 2001, Mr. Randall passionately pursued buying the newspaper. With his mother and siblings, he formed Randall Family LLC, and upon the completion of the sale, Mr. Randall became editor and publisher of the newspaper.
“This is my dream job,” he said. “I love The Frederick News-Post, and I love the Frederick community. My parents, uncle and grandparents have given me the opportunity to pass that opportunity on to a fifth generation.”
Mr. Randall was instinctively protective of the right of a free press. When, in 1989, city officials sought to have newspaper boxes removed from historic downtown Frederick, Mr. Randall commented, “the city has a right to protect the health, safety and welfare of its citizens, but this is also getting into a First Amendment issue.” He worked out an agreement with the city regarding the placement of paper boxes downtown.
Mr. Randall was served in numerous civic organizations and on various community boards, including the board of trustees of the Community Foundation of Frederick County, the county’s most important philanthropic organization. He supported many charitable organizations financially and in giving of his time.