William F. Schmick Jr., 90; Former Publisher of the Sun Newspapers

William F. Schmick Jr., former publisher of the Sun newspapers in Baltimore, has died at age 90.

Schmick died of heart failure Friday at the Blakehurst Life Care Community, a spokeswoman said.

Schmick’s career with the Sun, the Evening Sun and Sunday Sun spanned more than 40 years.

During his tenure, the newspapers expanded advertising, circulation and features.

“His high sense of integrity guided the Sun papers during a long and crucial period,” said John Plunkett, retired assistant managing editor of the Sun. “Every department could depend on him for support in good times and bad.”

Schmick started working for the Sun in 1939 in classified advertising.

He said he was proudest of expanding the Sun’s overseas bureaus.

When he became executive vice president in 1953, the Sun had bureaus in Washington and London.

In the 1950s and 1960s, he helped open new bureaus in Bonn, Moscow, Paris, Rome, Hong Kong, New Delhi and Rio de Janeiro. He kept in close touch with overseas offices and often visited them.

Schmick also embraced new computer technology, establishing a fully electronic newsroom in 1975.

He was president of the American Newspaper Publishers Assn. in 1969 and 1970 and headed broadcasting operations for several radio stations.

A burial Mass was scheduled for Monday in Baltimore.

Survivors include his wife and four children.