Ben R. Morris, Last Family Publisher of 'The State' in S.C., Dead At 82

By: E&P Staff Ben R. Morris, who was the last family publisher of The State in Columbia, S.C., died Wednesday at the age of 82, the newspaper reported.

"Mr. Morris was a somewhat reluctant candidate when he was asked in the early 1970s to eventually succeed his father-in-law as publisher of The State," the paper wrote Thursday. "He would make the most of it, and both the newspaper and South Carolina would benefit."

Morris was president of the State-Record Co. from 1972 to 1988. The company was sold to Knight Ridder Inc. in 1986, but Morris remained as publisher for the next two years. He served on the Knight Ridder board until 1996.

Morris served in the Army Air Corps during World War II, and built a successful textile business after graduating from North Carolina State University.

Under his leadership, the company made "numerous acquisitions of newspapers, television stations and commercial printing companies" before the sale to Knight Ridder, the newspaper wrote.