Lester John Biederman "Verna Hocker Becomes Bride"
''The Harrisburg Telegraph''. Wednesday, December 4, 1946. p. 18. Retrieved 2015-09-11. "The marriage of Miss Verna M. Hocker, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Hocker, 3428 Old Orchard Road, Progress, and Lester John Biederman, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. L. J. Biederman of Wilkinsburg, took place at noon today." (June 7, 1907 – November 30, 1981) was an American

sports writer Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted to the social elite and transitioned into an integral part of the n ...

and columnist, writing exclusively for ''

The Pittsburgh Press ''The Pittsburgh Press'' (formerly ''The Pittsburg Press'' and originally ''The Evening Penny Press'') was a major afternoon daily newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1884 to 1992. At one time, the ''Press'' was the second larg ...

'', from 1930 until his retirement in 1969. He was known for, among other things, his highly racist descriptions and portrayals of athletes such as

Roberto Clemente Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (; August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball right fielder who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates. After his early death, he was pos ...

Career

From 1938, Biederman covered the Pittsburgh Pirates, becoming the Press' sports editor in 1966; excluding his military service in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, he served in both capacities until his retirement in 1969."Ex-Press Sports Editor Les Biederman Dies". ''The Pittsburgh Press''. November 30, 1981. pp
A-1A-12
Retrieved 2015-09-11. For the final 20 of those years, Biederman was also a correspondent for ''

The Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...

''. In 1953, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the

Baseball Writers' Association of America The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) is a professional association for journalists writing about Major League Baseball for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying websites. The organization was founded in 1908, and is known ...

; in 1959, he served as its president."Baseball Writers' Association of America Constitution: Addendum B (BBWA Presidents)"
BBWAA. Retrieved 2015-09-11. That same year, Biederman was named Pennsylvania Sportswriter of the Year by the

National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association The National Sports Media Association (NSMA), formerly the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, is an organization of sports media members in the United States, and constitutes the American chapter of the International Sports P ...

. In 1956, he initiated the Scoreboard Fund, under the umbrella of the Press Old Newsboys;"Palmers Newsboy Santa"
''The Pittsburgh Press''. December 3, 1971. Retrieved 2015-09-11. "The 'modest beginning' came in 1956 and was initiated by Lester J. Biederman, former Press sports editor who was director of the Scoreboard, an arm of the Old Newsboys which was taken over by Press sports director Pat Livingston when Biederman retired." over the next 14 years, under Biederman's direction, the fund raised approximately half a million dollars for the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.United Press International
"Lester Biederman Dies at 74; Former Sports Writer-Editor"
''The New York Times''. December 1, 1981. p. D31. Retrieved 2015-09-11.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Biederman, Les 1907 births 1981 deaths Baseball writers Sportspeople from Pittsburgh Sportswriters from Pennsylvania Writers from Pittsburgh 20th-century American non-fiction writers

Career

References

Further reading

External links