Rollan Melton, 70; Reno Newspaper Editor, Columnist and Executive
Rollan Melton, 70, a Nevada newspaper columnist, editor and executive whose career spanned 55 years, died Sunday at his home in Reno after a long heart-related illness.
As a columnist, Melton touched on subjects about everyday Nevadans and championed the causes of education, the arts, libraries and history.
The Boise, Idaho-born Melton grew up in Fallon, Nev. At 15, he began working as a printer’s devil and cub reporter at the Fallon Standard.
After two years in the Army, the graduate of the University of Nevada at Reno joined the Reno Evening Gazette as sports editor in 1957. He became publisher of both the Gazette and Nevada State Journal in 1966. After serving as vice president of the Speidel newspaper group, which included the Reno papers, he became Speidel’s president in 1972.
When Speidel merged with the Gannett newspaper chain in 1977, Melton was named senior vice president of its Western division and a board member.
He resigned from his executive position in 1979, but remained on the board and continued to write his column until his death.
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