Obituary of Jacob Schaad

Jacob Schaad Jr., a long time newspaperman who has interviewed movie stars and a President of the United States, has died at the age of 100. Jacob began his career in journalism as an 18-year-old copy boy for the Paterson Evening News and he has been writing continuously for 72 years since then even when he served in the Army with its Air Corps for 39 months in Puerto Rico and California during World War II. He began his career in journalism on September 2, 1939, the day after Hitler invaded Poland, and he liked to tell people, "I'm glad for my sake and especially the world's sake I lasted longer than Adolf Hitler." Among his interview subjects have been movie stars Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Cary Grant, Gregory Peck and former President Harry Truman. Mr. Truman was interviewed in 1964 at the Bergen Mall Playhouse in Paramus, N.J. where his daughter was appearing in a play. Schaad asked Mr. Truman what he thought of Nikita Khruschev's shipboard trip to address the United Nations. "I hope he falls overboard, the son of a bitch," Schaad said Truman replied. Schaad was a courthouse newspaper reporter for the Paterson News and covered some high profile murder cases including the first Hurricane Carter trial, the Edgare Smith and the Judy Kavanaugh cases. After 30 years with the Parerson News, including his Army time, Schaad left to become news editor at Upsala College in East Orange for 12 years before moving with his family to Cape May in 1981. He has written there as a freelancer for the Philadelphia Bulletin and Inquirer and The Press of Atlantic City, as well as a full-time and part-time reporter for the papers of Catamaranmedia Publications for more than 25 years. He also served as public relations coordinator for the city of North Wildwood for 14 years under the administrations of Mayor Aldo Palombo and Bill Henfey. Schaad, predeceased by his wife, the former Evelyn Buseman, is survived by a daughter, Karen Shumate of Newport News, Va. and two sons, Carl of Wantage, and Mark of Middle Township. Jacob also leaves behind numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.