Joseph H. Ball, of Penn Valley, has passed at age 93. Ball had decades-long career in the area in the advertising-media field. But he self-identified with his first professional role, newspaperman for The Philadelphia Inquirer, whose Anthony R. Wood recalled.
Ball’s 70-year career started as a teenager, when he worked as an Inquirer “copy boy.” The position, long-since gone defunct, was part errand-running, part research, part transport of finished stories — typewritten on paper — toward publication.
The position left such a lasting impression that Ball would cite it in his future professional roles. These included writing for the Inquirer himself, producing radio shows on WWDB in Bala Cynwyd, and eventually heading his own advertising agency in Philadelphia.
It was said that by reputation alone, Ball could summon luminaries nationwide to visit with him locally interviews. Past participants in his sit-downs included First Lady Nancy Reagan, Princess Grace Kelly, and supermodel Brooke Shields.
But his all-time favorite interview was his own, which came as a surprise when a WWDB colleague put him behind a mic for his 90th birthday to answer queries rather than pose them.
One of Ball’s trademarks was an indefatigable perseverance.
“Do not hear the first ‘no,’” he was quoted as saying.” Persevere, persevere, persevere. Avoid being the richest person in the cemetery.”
More on the life of Joseph H. Ball is at The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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