Kentucky Education Television Founder O. Leonard Press was honored today in a Lexington studio he helped build. Press died July 31 at the age of 97.
Shae Hopkins shared her memories. Hired by Press in 1986, Hopkins became KET’s fourth executive director in 2010.
“While technologies and services have changed through the years, much of KET remains the same, because since day one we were built on a mission of education,” said Hopkins.
Hopkins told those gathered today she’s reminded daily of Press’ wisdom in the fundamental ways he set up KET’s governance and operations.
Virginia Fox who succeeded Press as executive director following his retirement in 1991, told how she first met him while chairing a statewide meeting of school librarians and audio visual specialists. “And Len offered me a job that night and I thought it was because I was wonderful. Wasn’t at all. I knew every school librarian in the state and they were the best way to get television into a school,” noted Fox.
Fox said Press was “a master at selling,” adding he’d always say “you sell the sizzle, not the steak.”?
