Kermit V. Sloan

Kermit V. Sloan, former White House Correspondent for The Wall Street Journal during the Roosevelt Administration, passed away Friday, June 30, 1989 in a Roanoke hospital.

Sloan left Franklin County in 1929 and went to work in Washington, D.C. for Central News of America, which later merged with Dow Jones, publisher of The Wall Street Journal. In 1933, Sloan became a reporter for the Wall Street Journal covering FDR's famous first 100 days of the "New Deal."  Later, he was named White House correspondent for the Journal by editor Barney Kilgore and covered the Roosevelt administration through all four terms. He was nicknamed "Snuffy" by his fellow journalists. His career then moved to Curtis Publishing Company where, as public relations director, he worked with the Saturday Evening Post, Ladies Home Journal and other Curtis publications.

Sloan retired from the Food and Drug Administration Washington, D.C. in 1973 and moved to "The Old Homestead," the family home on the Bullpasture River in Highland County, where he pursued interests in writing, history, genealogy and gardening.

He was one of the original members of the Civil Warm Roundtable of Washington, D.C. and served as president of that organizations. He also helped found the National Civil war Centennial Commission which was established by Congress to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the War. An avid student in Civil War history, Sloan was a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Alexandria, Va. Chapter.

Sloan authored a book, "The Natural Bent," which chronicles many of his experiences in Washington during the Roosevelt years.

Sloan was a 1927 alumnus of Ferrum College in Franklin County and a member of the college's 50-Year-Club.  He was also an honorary member of the Stonewall Ruritan Clun, McDowell.

Sloan was born December 3, 1909 in Franklin County, the son of the late Kitty Via Sloan and Pedro Thomas Sloan. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Mary Dyer Shumate Sloan. He is survived by a son, James L. Sloan; daughter-in-law, Deborah Sloan, grandchildren, Timothy and Rebecca Sloan, all of Nashville, TN; a daughter, Peggy Ann Conklin of Roanoke; grandson, Thomas A. Darbie and daughter-in-law, Lynn Darbie; two great-grandchildren, Elizabeth Ann and Christopher Thomas Darbie, all of Cincinnati, OH; four sisters-in-law, , Elva B. Sloan and Thelma Sloan of Roanoke, Diana Crawford of Bedford, and Kathleen Marshall of McDowell; three nephews, Harry L. Sloan, Roanoke, Lewis W. Shumate, McDowell and Henry C. Marshall of Nazareth, PA; two nieces, Terry Hart of Greensboro, NC and Karen Hopkins of Bedford.

Service will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, July 2 at Obaugh Funeral Home in McDowell by Rev. Lester LaPrade. The eulogy will be delivered by Harry L. Sloan. Interment will follow at the family cemetery on the Bullpasture River.

Pallbearers will be Lewis W. Shumate, Henry C. Marshall, Tim Sloan, Tom Darbie, Steve Shumate and Jeff Shumate.