Olaf Soward
Broadcaster. Born: October 13, 1893. Died: Circa June 9, 1980.
Olaf Soward was born on October 13, 1980, in Saint Louis, Missouri, to parents John F. Selby and Mary Elizabeth Soward.
He moved to Kansas City, Kansas, with his family as a child.
At nine years of age, he started a newspaper route. At 16 he became a copy boy and worked his way up until eventually becoming assistant news editor for the Kansas City Kansan.
Soward married Faye Strong.
He worked for Capper Publications and then Stauffer Publications for many years. He was named news director of KCKN, a Capper AM radio station in Kansas City, Kansas. He transferred to Topeka to work for WIBW Radio, an AM station at 580 kHz, where he broadcast news at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. When Capper purchased a television station he became news director of both WIBW Radio and WIBW-TV in 1957; then director of special projects in 1961.
In 1957 Soward became the first to receive the University of Kansas broadcaster award. He served as president of Kansas Highway Safety Committee. He retired in 1962 from his broadcasting career.
Soward died in June 1980.
Entry: Soward, Olaf
Author: Kansas Historical Society
Author information: The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history.
Date Created: August 2016
Date Modified: August 2016
The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.
