[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 28, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E854]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING BILL NANGLE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 28, 2014

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with profound respect and 
admiration that I pay tribute to the remarkable career of William 
``Bill'' Nangle, longtime journalist and executive editor of The Times 
Media Company. Mr. Nangle will be retiring from his position after an 
extraordinary and distinguished fifty years in journalism. In 
recognition of his outstanding career, Bill will be honored with a 
reception on Thursday, May 29, 2014, at Briar Ridge Country Club in 
Schererville, Indiana.
   Bill Nangle's career as a journalist spans five decades. After 
beginning his career as a correspondent in his hometown of Wabash, 
Indiana, Bill went on to become an editor in Kokomo and Franklin, 
Indiana, as well as Bristol, Virginia. In 1970, he joined The Times, 
then known as The Hammond Times, and was instrumental in its success, 
as it has become Northwest Indiana's leading media company.
   Throughout his career, Mr. Nangle has been known as a leader for 
good government and open access laws, fighting for the public's right 
to know what its elected representatives are doing. In 1989, he urged 
Indiana lawmakers and then Governor Evan Bayh to enact a state law in 
order to reverse a court decision that closed county coroner records to 
the public. Nearly a decade later, Bill's passion for open government 
flourished when he coordinated with seven of the state's largest 
newspapers for a project that changed the way Indiana officials deal 
with requests for information. He pioneered an experiment that had 
reporters test each of the state's 92 counties for open access to 
government records. The findings were presented in a groundbreaking 
collaboration of all seven newspapers on one Sunday, known as the State 
of Secrecy. The project was so successful that then Governor Frank 
O'Bannon formed a blue-ribbon panel, which included Mr. Nangle, to 
investigate the situation. As a result, the State of Secrecy became a 
national model for testing access to public records and has since been 
replicated in 32 states.
   With a diverse population in Lake and Porter Counties in Indiana, as 
well as Illinois, Bill Nangle successfully managed a focus on regional 
journalism, while maintaining coverage of state and national issues. 
Under his direction, The Times, which publishes four zone specific 
issues, has been emulated and this approach termed the ``Munster 
model.''
   During Mr. Nangle's tenure, The Times has made its mark as the most 
decorated Indiana newspaper of its size, winning the Hoosier State 
Press Association competition for Blue Ribbon daily newspaper of the 
year in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, and 2003. Throughout his 
career, Bill, too, has received his fair share of accolades, including 
distinguished service awards from both the Hoosier State Press 
Association and the Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce. He is also a 
recipient of Ball State University's Indiana Journalism Award and has 
been inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame. For his 
outstanding contributions to Hoosier heritage, Bill is also a recipient 
of the prestigious Sagamore of the Wabash, presented to him by the late 
Governor Frank O'Bannon.
   William Nangle is also committed to his community in a very personal 
and selfless way. This is shown through the numerous organizations to 
which he is active in, including the Crisis Center of Gary, the 
Northwest Indiana Forum, and the Northwest Indiana Chapter of the 
American Red Cross, to name just a few. The consummate newsman, Bill 
also serves on the strategic planning committee of the Northwest 
Indiana Regional Planning Commission.
   Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask that you and my other colleagues 
join me in honoring Bill Nangle for his distinguished career in 
journalism. His commitment to his community and his excellence in 
leadership with The Times Media Company are unparalleled, and I wish 
him and his wife, Rita, and their family, the best in the years to 
come.

                          ____________________