Frederick Douglass Sengstacke, former publisher and chief operating officer of the Chicago Defender, died July 1 at the age of 90.
Frederick Douglass Sengstacke, former publisher and chief operating officer of the Chicago Defender, died July 1 at the age of 90.
Sengstacke was born in Savannah, Georgia on October 3, 1918 to the Rev. Herman Alexander Sengstacke and Rosa Mae Davis Sengstacke. After the death of his father, he came to Chicago where he lived with his uncle, Robert Sengstacke Abbott, founder and publisher of the Chicago Defender.
He worked part-time at the Defender while attending school.
Sengstacke attended DuSable High School and went on to Hampton Institute in Hampton, Virginia, Central YMCA College and DePaul University in Chicago. His major was Business Administration. He also attended the Mergenthaler Linotype School.
“Fred Sengstacke had not only an eye for news, but he also understood the business of news,” said Cong. Bobby Rush, D-1st.
“His life represented the hopes and dreams of a people determined to break the bonds of inequality and social injustice. He will be remembered for his contributions to the Black press and for helping to create and sustain a vehicle for us to tell our stories.”
______
To read the rest of this article, subscribe to our digital or paper edition. For previous editions, contact us for details.
Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
About Post Author
