Ewell Balltrip, Kentucky newspaper publisher and Appalachian advocate, dead at 68
Ewell H. Balltrip, who served as publisher of community newspapers in Kentucky and Tennessee before heading agencies focused on boosting development in Appalachian Kentucky and on homeland security, died Thursday after a long illness.
Balltrip, a native of Harlan who had lived in Somerset for many years, was 68.
Balltrip started a career in journalism as an intern at the newspaper in Harlan and ultimately worked his way up to publisher.
He also served as publisher of newspapers in Middlesboro and Dyersburg, Tenn., before joining former Gov. Paul Patton’s administration in the mid-1990s to head the Kentucky Appalachian Commission, which worked to promote economic development in the region. Balltrip also served as Patton’s alternate to the Appalachian Regional Commission.
Balltrip later helped found and served as president of the National Institute for Hometown Security, which promotes research on protecting community infrastructure. He was with the institute until shortly before his death.
U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, a Republican who represents Southern and Eastern Kentucky, said Balltrip spent a lifetime advocating for opportunities and projects he believed could help Eastern Kentucky.
“Ewell was an extraordinary communicator, a brilliant writer and an effective leader for rural development across the country,” Rogers said. “His expertise and ingenuity were sought after by countless regional boards and civic organizations.”
Rogers said he counted Balltrip as a dear friend.
“His jovial personality and compassionate nature were undeniable and unwavering,” Rogers said.
Balltrip received numerous awards for his work in newspapers and will be inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame on March 25.
His citation in the hall, housed in the University of Kentucky’s School of Journalism and Media in Lexington, will describe him as an “effective and persistent community journalist, often under difficult circumstances.”
“He was known for covering the coal industry and the War on Poverty, earning the confidence of especially sensitive local audiences, commentary on local and broader issues, First Amendment advocacy, and many civic activities,” the citation will read.
Jeff Phillips, who worked as a reporter for Balltrip at the Harlan Daily Enterprise, said on Facebook that he and Balltrip reminisced recently about the many stories Balltrip had covered or overseen in Southeast Kentucky.
At one point, the paper ran a story that a coal company considered to be negative, and the company sent miners to the office to protest, Phillips said.
“Ewell supported us. We covered the protest,” Phillips said. “We didn’t back down.”
Balltrip also served on numerous civic and development boards, including Forward in the Fifth, an education advocacy group; the Harlan County Community Scholarship Fund; the selection committee for UK’s Robinson Scholars program; the East Kentucky Leadership Foundation; the Mountain Association For Community Economic Development; and Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation, according to Southern Oaks Funeral Home.
Balltrip is survived by his wife Kathy Mills Balltrip, daughter Amanda Balltrip, and son Andrew Lee Balltrip.
Visitation for Balltrip will be from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home, with the funeral immediately following.
