Ray Swanson
Ray Swanson is being honored for years of service to the Mercer County Hall of Fame as well as his constant support of Mercer County youths in the media.
Ray was a former sportswriter and sports editor of The Herald newspaper, Sharon, as well as a sportswriter and columnist for The Vindicator, Youngstown. He provided coverage and support for Mercer County High School athletes for more than 40 years and his byline appears in many scrapbooks of boys and girls who graced the playing fields, courts, mats and tracks in our area. He worked under the guidance of the legendary Johnny Pepe at The Herald, before taking over as sports editor in 1973, a job he held until 1981 when he joined the Vindicator. His column "Keystoner" was a "must-read" every Sunday in The Vindicator.
He is one of the longest serving directors of the MCHF board and has served on almost every committee over the years. He also provided outstanding media coverage of the oldest local Hall of Fame in the world.
Ray, a former director of the F.H. Buhl Club and a member of the AP Ohio Sports Writers Association, played baseball for the Sharpsville Midgets, Blue Jays and Giants in his youth. He lettered in basketball at Sharpsville High under coach Red Johnson. He played softball in the Westinghouse, Suburban and Church leagues as well as with several independent teams. He played independent baseball for the Sharon American Legion and Hickory Drive-In clubs and attended Pittsburgh Pirates tryout school in Dubois.
Ray played basketball in the service in Germany, traveling all over the country for exhibition games.
He was named an "Honorary Westminster College Towering Titan" in 1998 and an "Honorary Kentucky Colonel" in 1987.
He won first place in the best sports story category in the United Press International Ohio Sportswriters Association competition in 1986.