Fred H. Young (1892-1980) was born September 21, 1892, in Normal, and graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1915. He started his career as a newspaper reporter for The Bulletin in Bloomington. From 1918 to 1922 he was a cub reporter at The Pantagraph, then was named sports editor, a position he held until 1957. Thereafter, he continued to write a column for The Pantagraph entitled “Young’s Yarns.” He was an official in the Big Ten Conference for basketball and football for 30 years. He also officiated for the National Football League. In 1917, he married Helen Morrison. He resided at 1230 E. Washington St. in Bloomington.
The collection includes documents from the 1965 Illinois Wesleyan University Homecoming, which was dedicated to Mr. Young, along with many congratulatory letters and telegrams. Also included are congratulatory telegrams celebrating his 50 years of service to The Pantagraph, certificates of recognition awarded over his lifetime; newspaper clippings (mostly pertaining to the 1965 Homecoming); and real estate and personal property tax bills (1963-1975) for properties he and his family owned in Bloomington Illinois.