Patrick S. Korten was born March 17, 1948, in Neenah to Margaret A. (O’Grady) and John S. Korten. He was a 1966 graduate of Homestead High School in Mequon, and attended UW-Madison, where he majored in political science. He was a founder and the first editor-in-chief of The Badger Herald, an independent student newspaper.
Korten founded The Herald as a direct response to the then-radical campus and The Daily Cardinal. After months of raising money, looking for furniture, equipment and offices for rent, the first issue of The Badger Herald was published on Sept. 10, 1969.
In its principal years, Korten ensured The Herald maintained editorial independence by seeing to it that the paper remained solvent through advertising sales, refusing money from the university and even gaining support and donations from popular conservative figures such as William F. Buckley.
After graduating from UW with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Korten continued his career in journalism by working as an anchor and reporter for WTOP News Radio from 1975 to 1981.
He died March 29, 2018, in Fairfax, Va., after suffering a stroke. He was 70 years old.
Patrick and his wife of 44 years, Anita, had three sons and one granddaughter.
