A.E.P. Wall, past editor, dies

A. E. P. (Ed) Wall, 94, former editor of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s English-language newspaper, died Jan. 18 in Orland Park.

According to information sent by his son David, Mr. Wall was a journalist who mimeographed his own neighborhood papers in the 1930s and produced his own online paper in the 2000s. He set type by hand using his boyhood Kelsey printing press and became a desktop newspaper publishing enthusiast.

Born in Jamestown, New York, he was baptized in the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Wall’s journalistic career included service as managing editor of the Honolulu Advertiser; editor of the Hilo (Hawaii) Tribune-Herald; Sunday editor of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin; director and editor-in-chief of Catholic News Service in Washington, D.C.; editor of the Catholic Review in Baltimore, editor of the Chicago Catholic and its predecessor, the New World, editor of the Central Florida Episcopalian, rewrite reporter for the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, copy editor for the Worcester Telegram in Massachusetts, reporter for the Peoria Journal and editor of a national labor paper.

His professional career began when he became a Miami Herald editorial clerk while attending the University of Miami. He was author of “The Spirit of Cardinal Bernardin” and “The Big Wave,” contributor to “If I Were Pope,” and editor-in-chief of the American Catholic Who’s Who.

Wall was active in community affairs as a member of many boards, was director of Our Sunday Visitor and Noll Printing Co., and president of the International Federation of Catholic Press Agencies.

Wall’s honors include an honorary  doctorate from what is now Dominican University and the St. Francis de Sales Award of the Catholic Press Association.

Wall spent his last years in Orland Park with his daughter and son-in-law.

Wall’s wife, Marcella, known also as Sally, died in Illinois in 2002.