Background
John Eric Lake was born February 18, 1930 in Albany, New New York
John Eric Lake was born February 18, 1930 in Albany, New New York
He graduated in 1951 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Syracuse University, where he met his wife Alice Conlin.
The couple married in 1952 while Lake was serving in the United States. Navy in Honolulu, Hawaii. He returned to graduate school at Syracuse after he was discharged from the United States. Navy. John Lake was declared missing in December 1967 and deceased by a court in New Jersey in 1975.
In 1959 Lake became a staff writer at the New York Herald Tribune.
Lake worked with Red Smith while at the Tribune. In February 1964, he moved to Newsweek to become its sports editors
He succeeded Dick Schaap in this role. 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 Industry 500 and the World Series.
Lake was hired as a ghost writer for Bob Gibson"s autobiography and had all but submitted the work.
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?" After Lake"s disappearance in 1967, he was replaced as sports editor six months later by Pete Axthelm, a writer for Sports Illustrated. At that time, he was walking toward the subway to go home. His disappearance was investigated by the Pinkerton Detective Agency, which was hired by Newsweek.
Missing Person documents:
New York Police Agency Case Number: 29273
NCIC Number: M-563761275
NamUs Missouri#4386
Peter Benchley, author and screenwriter, who edited the Radio/television section at Newsweek at the time, admitted to being intimidated by him.
Mario Andretti, auto race driver, called him the most prepared journalist from the national media that ever interviewed him. Bert Sugar, boxing raconteur, recalls it was John Lake that moved press conferences from showmanship to seriousness with a single question.