Jewish Light Editor-in-Chief Emeritus Robert A. Cohn will be among this year’s class of inductees into the St. Louis Media History Foundation’s 2012 Hall of Fame. Cohn is among 17 people from the fields of journalism, advertising and public relations who will be inducted during a ceremony planned for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20 at Copia Restaurant and Wine Garden, 1122 Washington Ave. in downtown St. Louis.

Cohn became Chief Editor of the St. Louis Jewish Light in 1969.

He entered what he terms “semi-retirement” in 2004, but has maintained an active role with the newspaper and his byline is seen throughout the newspaper — particularly in arts criticism, commentaries on Mideast affairs and obituaries of Jewish St. Louisans. Since 2011, he has written a regular “Cohnipedia” column chronicling St. Louis Jewish history.

The 2012 inductees were recently elected by the St. Louis Media History Foundation board of directors from among dozens of nominees. The other inductees in the 2012 Hall of Fame include:

• George Abel: Legendary television and radio broadcaster, actor and entertainer, a radio broadcaster, newsman for KSD-TV, co-star of the old Charlotte Peters Show, The Wranglers Club, and for years, an announcer on Wrestling at the Chase on KPLR.
• Thomas Patrick Convey: First station manager of KMOX Radio, owner of KWK Radio, and sports broadcaster for the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Browns.
• Clarence “Harry” Fender:  Known by Baby Boomers as “Captain 11 on KPLR-TV,” a radio broadcaster for KMOX and KXOK.
• Don Marsh: Winner of 12 Regional Emmy Awards for his television news and anchor work for KTVI and KDNL, and producer and host of more than 1,600 public affairs programs, including a daily public affairs program that airs on KWMU, St. Louis Public Radio.
• Wiley Price, Jr.: The first African-American in the St. Louis region to host a radio show, got his start in 1944 on WTMV, East St. Louis, and had subsequent shows on KXLW and KSTL.
• J.G. Taylor Spink: Publisher of The Sporting News from 1914-1962, and namesake of the highest award given by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
• Sue Ann Wood: A reporter, city editor and managing editor for the Globe-Democrat (1955-1984) and editor at the Post-Dispatch (1984-1991).
• James C. Millstone: Long-time St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter, editor and assistant managing editor at the Post-Dispatch, on the infamous Nixon “enemies” list, covered the civil rights movement, constitutional law and legal issues.
• John McGuire: A long-time feature writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, champion of the underdog, and writer of colorful stories of people and off-beat things in life.
• Ed Finkelstein: Long-time publisher of the St. Louis Labor Tribune newspaper and owner of Union Communications, helped organized labor tell its story to the public and its own members.
• Harry B. Wilson: A former reporter and communications pioneer,  a civic mover-and-shaker who also was instrumental in the global expansion of Fleishman-Hillard.
• Bob Peirce: A former medical reporter with the Globe- Democrat and Louisville Courier Journal, made his mark as a communications strategist with Monsanto and Fleishman-Hillard.
• Paul Seimer — Long-time partner in Stolberg & Seimer Public Relations, a former St. Louis Globe-Democrat reporter, and an executive with Fleishman-Hillard, where he led the A-B account team for more than a dozen years.
• Del Schwinke – Long-time advertising executive with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Geile-Leon Marketing Communications, and an adjunct Professor at Washington University in St. Louis.
• Bill Tyler: Advertising instructor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and at St. Louis University, and an ad man with D’Arcy, Gardner Advertising, and Pizza Hut.
• Franklin Oros: A 30-year veteran of the ad business, worked for Savan, Creath Jacobsen, Gardner Advertising, an associate professor at Washington University, and an advertising consultant.

The St. Louis Media History Foundation is a non-profit organization that researches and compiles St. Louis media artifacts and memorabilia, much of which is housed in the St. Louis Media Archive at the St. Louis Public Library and the Missouri History Museum. For more information, visit www.stlmediahistory.com or the organization’s Facebook page.