I am not old enough to have ever heard a live Bill Slatter radio broadcast or watch the New Orleans television news anchor in action, but I am thankful for the encouraging and inspiring words he imparted whenever we met.

As someone who never went to journalism school and learned how to photograph and write stories by the seat of my pants, Slatter’s occasional “good job” and “fine work” was enough to let me know I was occasionally doing something right.

The Natchez High graduate  died Sunday in Washington, D.C.

Meeting him for the first time more than a decade ago, I didn’t know about Slatter’s history as a TV news anchor or even about his interviews with Lee Harvey Oswald 90 days before Oswald would be arrested for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Even still, it didn’t take me long to realize that I was talking to a man who didn’t just read the news, but knew what it took to craft stories that were informative and entertaining.

Reading transcripts from his interview with Oswald in August 1963, you can get a sense of what kind of reporter Slatter was. Slatter peppers Oswald, a New Orleans native who was then the secretary of the city’s chapter of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, with questions about his connection to Cuba, Russia and Communism.

When Oswald tried to evade a query about his political philosophy by calling it a “red herring,” Slatter persisted with the line of questioning.

“But are you a Marxist?” Slatter asked Oswald.

“Well, I have studied Marxism as well as the works of other philosphers,” Oswald responded.

Not willing to let Oswald off the hook, Slatter asked, “But are you a Marxist?”

Oswald then responded, “I would definitely say I am a Marxist, but that doesn’t mean I am a Communist.”

Former colleagues remember him for his dogged pursuit of the truth and insistence for accuracy. Others remember him for his laid back style and his willingness to help young reporters, according to recent New Orleans news articles.

That was the side of Slatter that I saw when I bumped into him on the street or received an email praising the excellent work of our young photography staff.

Every time we hired a new shooter, I waited for the inevitable Bill Slatter email offering praise and encouragement to our staff.

Even into retirement Slatter was busy making stories. With advancements in digital technology, Slatter took the camera into his own hands and filmed a series of video pieces about local World War II veterans. The videos were most recently broadcast to area Rotarians during the Natchez club’s weekly meetings. Each installment featured a one-on-one interview Slatter had with a local veteran, complimented with videos of old photographs and memorabilia from each veteran’s World War II experience.

My guess is that Slatter not only appreciated the stories of these brave men in their twilight years, but also knew the importance of telling their stories before they disappeared altogether.

In a news world that seems to be about the next controversy or titillating story, Slatter’s videos are a refreshing reminder that one of the responsibilities of good journalism is recording history for future generations.

Thank you Bill.

Ben Hillyer is the design editor of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3540 or by email at ben.hillyer@natchezdemocrat.com.