Published: August 27, 2008 09:37 am      

After 53 years, Thompson retires from newspaper; reception planned for Sept. 5

William Lamar (K.B.) Thompson who has completed 53 years employment with The Star-Herald is retiring.

He will be honored with a reception Friday, Sept. 5, 3 to 5 p.m. at Rib Alley Restaurant. The public is invited to attend.

Thompson began his newspaper career while a junior at Kosciusko High School working through the school’s Diversified Occupation (DO) Program. He went to school in the morning and reported to The Star-Herald at 1 p.m. and worked until 5 p.m. This schedule continued through his senior year and upon graduation from KHS he began full time employment.

Over his 53 years in the business, Thompson has experienced a complete revolution in the printing process. The hot metal process was used during his early years and he named “pouring lead” as his first job. This entailed melting the type to prepare the lead for typesetting the next paper.

In the early 1960s, the printing process was converted to offset. For the past number of years technology has again changed the process with the use of computers.

With his job description of creative services/composition, Thompson has been involved with typesetting ads and other copy and composition of pages. He has also been involved in circulation with the delivery of papers to the post office and to vendors throughout the area.

The public is invited to attend the reception in his honor.