Dolph C. Simons Jr., editor of the Journal-World and chairman of The World Company, was inducted into the Kansas Newspaper Hall of Fame on Friday by the Kansas Press Association.

Simons accepted the honor during the association’s 115th annual convention, which continues today at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Topeka. Also inducted was George H. Clasen II, the late owner of newspapers in Florence and Garnett.

Simons joins his father, Dolph Simons Sr., and grandfather, W.C. Simons, in the 100-member hall of fame.

“Anybody can buy ink and paper and all that stuff, but it’s the people who make a difference,” Simons said. “We’ve been blessed to have so many good people.”

Simons started in the business as a Journal-World carrier, having been called into duty as an 11-year-old to hawk copies of an “extra” edition detailing Japan’s Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor.

Between calls of “Extra! Extra!” Simons blew a whistle his father had issued him.

“That got people’s attention,” he said. “That was fun.”

Now the top executive for The World Company – which owns the Journal-World, Sunflower Broadband and eight area newspapers – Simons leads operations that provide news and information, cable television, telephone and Internet services throughout Douglas County and neighboring communities in northeast Kansas.

Simons is a former president of the KPA’s board of directors, the board of the William Allen White Foundation and The Associated Press board of directors. He has been named outstanding Kansas newspaper publisher by the KU chapter of Kappa Tau Alpha, a journalism honor society, and has served four times as a juror for the Pulitzer Prize.

In 1956, Simons worked in London as a reporter for the London Times. In 1958 he worked as a reporter for the Star in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The KPA represents more than 230 member newspapers throughout the state, including 47 dailies and nearly 200 weeklies.