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W. Harold McWilliams
Newspaperman Dies
A colorful career in journalism had ended today for W. Harold McWilliams, who died Tuesday afternoon at the Ohio General Hospital in Wheeling. McWilliams , who was 59, was well known throughout the valley as a newspaperman and particularly for the column that he once wrote under the name of Hi Waters.
His career covered practically all phases of newspaper work. He was a columnist, photographer, feature writer, editor and public relations representative.
He had been a patient in the hospital for two weeks when death came. The body was taken to the Barr-Milner Funeral Home in Morristown where services will be held Friday afternoon at 2 with Rev. Paul Greenwood of the Morristown Methodist church officiating. Burial will be in Union Cemetery in Morristown.
McWilliams’ “Hi Waters” column first made it’s appearance in the Bellaire Leader back in 1932 and quickly gained wide popularity. When the Leader merged with the Martins Ferry Times into the present Times-Leader in 1941, the column continued as a feature of the newspaper.
During the same period, McWilliams also served as public relations chief for the Hanna Coal Co. and held that post from 1930 to 1949. He published a weekly newspaper, the Tri-County Lantern at Adena, for two years and also served as editor of the two St.Clairsville weeklies, the Gazette and Belmont Chronicle, for a number of years.
McWilliams joined the Wheeling Intelligencer and News-Register as a feature writer and columnist in 1951 and two years later discontinued the column to devote his activities full time to feature writing.
McWilliams was born at Morristown, April 8, 1898, the son of Wilbur and Erma Holtz McWilliams and resided near St.Clairsville for 30 years. He was a member of the Morristown Methodist church. He attended the Morristown schools and Muskingum College.
Surviving are his wife, Pearle, of St.Clairsville; his mother, at Morristown; one son, Clifford L. of Wheeling, sports editor of the News-Register, and three grandchildren.
From a newspaper obituary from November, 1957
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