Interview: John Troan
Date of Interview: August 18, 2005
Place of Interview: Pittsburgh
Interviewer: Ford Risley
Biographical Summary
John Troan was born on August 23, 1919, near Scranton, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Penn State where he was editor of the Daily Collegian. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was hired by the Pittsburgh Press and worked as a medical writer, covering Jonas Salk’s invention of the polio vaccine, among other stories. He became a science writer for Scripps Howard Newspapers in 1958. He was editor of the Press from 1967 until his retirement from the newspaper in 1983.
Interview Highlights
Troan speaks about his family and growing up near Scranton; about being editor of the Daily Collegian; about his service in World War II; about working as a medical writer for the Pittsburgh Press and a science writer for Scripps Howard Newspapers; and about being editor of the Press.