Publisher, The Republican
Inducted into MDDC’s Hall of Fame in 2008. This article is based on information submitted at the time.
I wish to nominate my late father, Robert Benjamin Sincell Sr., for the MDDC Press Association Hall of Fame. He died on May 16, 2003, having never officially retired from our family’s publishing company, which has produced the weekly newspaper, The Republican, since 1890.
The paper was launched in 1877, and purchased by my great-grandfather in 1890. He, Benjamin Hinkle Sincell, was the very first member of the MDDC Hall of Fame.
My father dedicated his life to three things: his church (St. Mark’s Lutheran in Oakland), his family, and the newspaper and printing business. Ink was in his blood, I guess , since the printing business was the work of his father (Donald Sincell) and grandfather (B.H.). Dad spent countless hours in the “shop,” as my elders called it, from the time he was able to toddle around. I suppose he began his career as just a boy, cleaning up around the office, helping with the hot type, and generally soaking in the atmosphere.
Any plans for his future he may have had a young teenager were interrupted on Dec. 7, 1941. That day he was in his tree house, listening to the radio he had rigged up, and he heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor, a place he, like millions of other Americans, had no knowledge of at all. As the country was thrust into conflict, Dad was resigned to do his part. Upon turning the tender age of 17 (in 1943), he begged his parents to sign the required paperwork to allow him to enter the military early. With much angst, they did so. He then served in the United States Naval Air Force in Scouting Squadron No. 69, serving as a radio man and rear gunner in a dive bomber. He was honorably discharge in 1946, and immediately entered Potomac State College in the field of journalism. While at Potomac State, he became the editor of the school’s newspaper, The Pasquino. He graduated with an associate’s degree in 1948, and then completed studies for his bachelor’s degree at West Virginia University in 1950. During his years at WVU, Dad served as the business manager of the school’s Daily Athenaeum newspaper.
Upon his graduation, he returned to Garrett County, establishing a home in Mountain Lake Park with his new bride Hannah Wagoner Sincell, and going to work at the family newspaper. There he stayed for the rest of his life, working in all areas of the print shop. He began in advertising, serving as the manager of that department for at least 15 years. Of course, in a small family business, the weekly printing of the paper requires everyone’s help, so he was also a pressman. He worked closely with his father, and together, along with a staff that grew from two or three in the 1950s to about 20 in the 70s (and now 30), put the paper out every single week, just as had been the tradition since 1877. They also published brochures, raffle tickets, programs, invitations, and just about any other printable item. Dad always had a camera with him, too.
If there was a fire or a wreck, just about our whole family would pile into the station wagon to go, both to get info for the paper and to help. If there was a tornado on the way, we would run right toward it first, just to see if there was a good shot for the paper, or again, any news Dad could get first-hand. He covered sporting events of the high schools and snow skiing races at Wisp. When the blizzards came, Dad went out to get pictures. It was his whole life — gathering news, compiling it, publishing it.
As the years marched on, Dad became the “main man” at Sincell Publishing. His father, who ran the print shop and the press, became ill and unable to work in the mid-l 970s. Dad and my great-uncle, George Hanst, who was the editor, ran the ship for quite some time. Dad’s mechanical mind was rarely stymied by a problematic press. He would listen to it run, tinker with it, and almost always get it going again. He had this ability up until just the last few years of his life.
He was a perfectionist with the print shop work. Nothing could leave the office unless it met his approval. If there was a smudge or a typo, he would redo an entire run of a product before letting it go out the door.
My brother became the editor in 1977, and George retired. The major change from hot type to computers was weathered at Sincell Publishing, and although it was an entirely new world, my dad made the transition in the interest of progress. He was willing to learn new ways to do things, even later in life. Because we are a small company, such as transition takes time, and we straddled the old and new for a while. Dad worked on the old presses while my brother and the younger crowd attempted to keep up with the ever-evolving computer systems. My dad could operate a Linotype with ease, and did so also up until the last few years.
Throughout his career, quality was of utmost importance to Dad. He was a stickler for grammar — always correcting us kids (there are five of us), always complaining about bad usage on television or in other papers (or in our own at those unfortunate times). He always preached accuracy and non-sensationalism. He hated yellow journalism with a passion, and felt such misuse of the profession was inexcusable.
He had a great sense of humor, though, and thought it to be a powerful tool sometimes. Dad’s knowledge of Garrett County was great, which came in handy when any of the writers were working on features or looking for sources. He loved to see historic features in the paper, as he had a great sense of pride about his home county. He gave a lot to that county, too, as you may read in his short biography. In brief, he served as mayor of Mtn. Lake Park, was one of the first members of the National Ski Patrol at Wisp, was a founder of the county’s rescue squads, and was the first emergency medical technician instructor in the county. These are just a few of his civic contributions.
As the five of us kids reach adulthood, most of us worked at the paper at one time or another. Two of us are still here. As I mentioned, my brother Don is the editor (only the fourth editor of the paper – James Hayden, B.H. Sincell, George Hanst, and then Don) and I am the senior staff writer here. Don worked alongside Dad for about 27 years, and I joined the team in 1990. My husband did, too. So we were co-workers for many years, publishing the paper every Thursday of our lives, religiously. Thursday has been “paper day” all of our lives, just as it was all of Dad’s life, and all of his grandfather’s. My dad carried on a tradition of excellence, constancy, and dedication to the profession, and I can’t imagine anyone being more qualified to be included in the MDDC Hall of Fame this year.
I have a vivid memory of Dad in the spring of 2003. I was working the pressroom on a Thursday. While I usually work at the stuffer, this week I was helping my husband, who delivers several hundred papers around town. His back was bothering him that day, so I as bundling the paper for him. They were heavy — lots of inserts that week. My mother and father came by, as they usually did about every day since Dad had become ill was vascular dementia. He had lost much of his mental faculties, although he always knew who I was and he always knew where he was when visiting the office. He was watching the process, and in particular was keeping an eye on me. I was hot and tired, loading those huge bundles into the van.
He watched a while and made some sympathetic noises. And then he patted me on the should and asked so kindly, “May I spell you a while?” I just smiled at him -we both knew he wasn’t capable of “spelling” me anymore. I said no, that I was fine, just a little hot. He smiled again, sympathetically, and patted my arm again.
He and mom left.
Early the next morning, Dad died in his sleep. Quietly, without pain or struggle, he died next to my mom, his wife of 54 years. While we knew he was failing, his death still came as a shock, of course. And I still miss him, especially at work, where I continue to expect him to come whistling around the corner from the print shop in his overalls, his thumbs perpetually inky, his mind set on making sure some line was straight or some text was properly written. He remains here, in many ways, and I feel his presence. How could I not? He personified the company, the paper. A constant, responsible man in a constant and responsible place. I am honored to be able to say I am his daughter, and proud to nominate him to the Hall of Fame.
by Mary Sincell McEwen
Vice President
Sincell Publishing Company, Inc.
2009