Louis Sossamon
The Gaffney Ledger
Gaffney, SC
Destined to be publisher: A family history in Gaffney
Sossamon recalls his roots at The Gaffney Ledger and how times have changed in the newspaper business.
Video Interview
This video has been edited for length. If you’d like to listen to the full raw audio from our interview with Lou Sossamon, contact SCPA.
Photo Gallery
Related Links
- Louis Cody Sossamon’s obituary
- County, state mourn loss of former Ledger publisher, Gamecock legend (The Gaffney Ledger)
- At 97, USC All-American’s love for the Gamecocks, family still shines bright (The State)
- 94-year-old Sossamon’s TD run highlights USC alumni football game (The State)
- The Gaffney Ledger
- SC Athletic Hall of Fame
- University of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame
Biography
Born: June 2, 1921 in Gaffney, SC
Died: Feb. 11, 2019
Newspaper History:
- Started at the Gaffney Ledger, 1950
- Purchased the Gaffney Ledger from his father and became publisher, 1968
- Retired from the Gaffney Ledger, 1999
Honors and Awards:
- Won the SCPA’s Freedom of Information Award, 1962
- President of SCPA, 1968
- Inducted into the USC Athletics Hall of Fame, 1968
- Inducted into the SC Athletic Hall of Fame, 1974
Education: 1939-1942 University of South Carolina
Military Service: Navy (2.5 Years)
Family: Was married to Kathryn Edgerton Sossamon (now deceased), three children, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren
SCPA's oral history project is dedicated to preserving the heritage of our state's journalists and newspapers.
This program is funded by the South Carolina Humanities Council, whose mission is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. This program is co-sponsored by the University of South Carolina’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications.