John Eric Lake (born February 18, 1930; disappeared December 10, 1967), an American journalist, was the sports editor of Newsweek until his mysterious disappearance. ^[1]

Personal background

John Eric Lake was born February 18, 1930, in Albany, New York.^{[ citation needed]} He graduated in 1951 with a B.A. degree in journalism from Syracuse University, where he met his wife Alice Conlin. ^[1] The couple married in 1952 while Lake was serving in the U.S. Navy in Honolulu, Hawaii. ^[1] He returned to graduate school at Syracuse after he was discharged from the U.S. Navy. ^[1] The couple had a daughter and a son. ^{[1] [2]} His wife and children later moved to New Jersey and then to Islesford, Cranberry Island, Maine. ^[1] John Lake was declared missing in December 1967 and deceased by a court in New Jersey in 1975. ^{[1] [3]}

Career

The Binghamton News Press hired both John Lake and his wife in 1952, and he worked in sports while she wrote features. ^[1] In 1959 Lake became a staff writer at the New York Herald Tribune. ^{[1] [3]} Lake worked with Red Smith while at the Tribune.^{[ citation needed]} In February 1964, he moved to Newsweek to become its sports editor. ^{[1] [2] [3]} He succeeded Dick Schaap in this role.^{[ citation needed]} In his last year at the magazine, Lake authored three cover stories (nine in four years) on such varied topics as "The Black Athlete", the Indy 500 and the World Series.^{[ citation needed]} Lake was hired as a ghost writer for Bob Gibson's autobiography and had all but submitted the work. ^{[4] [5]} Lake's last issue for Newsweek was the December 11, 1967, issue with a cover featuring a dark-haired, bespectacled Robert McNamara, asked, "Why is He Leaving?"^{[ citation needed]} After Lake's disappearance in 1967, he was replaced as sports editor six months later by Pete Axthelm, a writer for Sports Illustrated.^{[ citation needed]}

Disappearance

John Lake was last seen in midtown Manhattan, New York City, on December 10, 1967. At that time, he was walking toward the subway to go home. ^{[3] [6] [7]} A missing persons report was filed by his wife, Alice, four days later. ^[3] His disappearance was investigated by the Pinkerton Detective Agency, which was hired by Newsweek. ^[3] Years after, a police officer from missing persons showed his son a February 1968 photo of a corpse who closely resembled Lake but could not be positively identified. ^[3]

Missing Person documents:

• New York Police Agency Case Number: 29273
• NCIC Number: M-563761275
• NamUs MO#4386

Reactions

Lake was admired by other journalists and athletes. Peter Benchley, author and screenwriter, who edited the Radio/TV section at Newsweek at the time, admitted to being intimidated by him.^{[ citation needed]} Mario Andretti, auto race driver, called him the most prepared journalist from the national media that ever interviewed him.^{[ citation needed]} Bert Sugar, boxing raconteur, recalls it was John Lake that moved press conferences from showmanship to seriousness with a single question.^{[ citation needed]}

See also

• List of people who disappeared

References

External links

• John Lake Biography
• John Lake chapters
• John Lake at the Doe Network