From Paperboy to Publisher
During his long career in journalism, Mesa College alumnus Ken Johnson held every position from paperboy to publisher. A Grand Junction local, Ken was raised by a single mom who moved to California with her two sons during WWII. While Ken’s mother worked for Douglas Aircraft, Ken earned money delivering newspapers for the Los Angeles Examiner. “It was a morning paper, and then you had to go around and collect from each customer,” Johnson recalled during an interview in January 2025. “If you couldn’t collect from them, it came out of your pocket, so you weren’t going to make very much money.”
Faced with the difficulties of collection, Johnson switched teams, joining the LA Times, where they “basically paid you a flat rate per paper to deliver.” While this was the first of Johnson’s moves in the newspaper business, it wouldn’t be the last.
In 1945, Johnson’s family returned to Grand Junction, and he began delivering The Daily Sentinel. Walter Walker was the publisher at that time, working with his son Preston (Pres) Walker. Johnson recalls Walter Walker as friendly and as likely to greet and chat with employees in the mailroom as in the press room. But it was his friendship with Pres Walker that changed Johnson’s life. “I think I became his adopted son. He and Becky had no children. They had me as their yard boy in the summertime and then Pres took me river running and taught me how to use the oars. Pres was a great teacher,” shared Johnson.
Next, Johnson joined The Daily Sentinel mailroom and then the composing room, where he was a cleaner. Following high school graduation, he enrolled at Mesa College, utilizing his paycheck from the National Guard to cover tuition. Johnson transferred to the University of Colorado with an associate’s degree and the prospect of future employment from Pres Walker in his back pocket. Two years later, holding a marketing degree, Johnson became The Daily Sentinel bureau chief in Rifle, Colorado.
Johnson’s progression through the newspaper and publishing ranks was steady. In 1970, when Pres Walker died of a heart attack while rafting the Colorado River, Johnson inherited The Daily Sentinel and became its fourth publisher.
When asked about the proudest moment of his career, Johnson points to the calamitous night of April 9, 1974, when The Daily Sentinel building and presses burned to the ground. Johnson and his team took quick action, salvaging as much newsprint as they could and arranging to have the paper published the next day in Glenwood Springs. They never missed an issue.
Johnson’s long career in journalism includes not only The Daily Sentinel (which he sold to Cox Enterprises in 1985) but also a free, local paper called The Free Press, numerous books, and countless articles. Still, Johnson laughs that being a paperboy was always his favorite part of the business.
Summarizing his college years, Johnson notes that CU was a “painful chore” in comparison to Mesa College. Like many of his generation, history instructor Mary Rait figured greatly in his collegiate experience. An “editor’s note” in Johnson’s 2022 biography of Walter and Preston Walker expresses his appreciation for Rait: “A remarkable teacher, she was helping (students) in her class learn how to understand history, not just have opinions.”
Learning the difference between understanding and opinions was a critical skill for a newspaperman and one that served Johnson well.
A Story 100 Years in the Making
Want to learn more about CMU's history? Purchase Colorado Mesa University - A Century of the Maverick Spirit, written by Amber J. D'Ambrosio and Kristen Lummis. The 192-page book chronicles CMU's 100-year journey of growth, resilience, and community impact, celebrating the people and moments that shaped our Maverick history.
CMU's Century Project honors one hundred years of Colorado Mesa University's rich history - celebrating the people, milestones and spirit that have shaped our enduring legacy. As we reflect on this meaningful milestone, proceeds from the commemorative Century Book and events throughout the year will benefit the Century Scholarship, ensuring that future generations of CMU students can continue to grow, learn and carry the CMU legacy forward.