John Eric Lake (born February 18, 1930 in Albany, New York) was the sports editor of Newsweek until his mysterious disappearance in December 1967.
Career at Newsweek
Lake had succeeded Dick Schaap in this role in February, 1964. He ascended to the position of sports editor of Newsweek having just turned 34 years old. Lake had previously worked with Red Smith on the New York Herald Tribune.
In his last year at the magazine he authored three cover stories (nine in four years) on such varied topics as "The Black Athlete", the Indy 500 and the World Series, a testament to his talent considering the hard-news topics competing for covers in the turbulent 1960s.
Lake was admired by journalists and athletes alike for his style and professionalism and was considered among the upper pantheon of writers at Newsweek. The author and screenwriter Peter Benchley, who edited the Radio/TV section at the time, admitted to being intimidated by him. Auto racing legend Mario Andretti called him the most prepared journalist from the national media that ever interviewed him. And boxing raconteur Bert Sugar recalls that it was John Lake that moved press conferences from showmanship to seriousness with a single question.
Disappearance
He was reported last seen in midtown Manhattan, New York City, on Sunday, December 10, 1967. A missing persons report was filed by his wife, Alice, at the 6th Precinct of the NYPD on December 14, 1967. His disappearance was investigated by the Pinkerton Detective Agency, which was hired by Newsweek. Lake was replaced as sports editor six months later by Pete Axthelm, a writer for Sports Illustrated.
Lake was declared legally dead in the state of New Jersey seven years after he vanished. He remains a legend among former Newsweek employees, where his story became a cautionary fable about letting one's job get the best of them: He finished his section for the December 11, 1967 issue of Newsweek and left his Madison Avenue office, never to be seen again. Ironically, the cover of that issue of the magazine, featuring a dark-haired, bespectacled Robert McNamara, asked, “Why is He Leaving?”
Many of Lake's coworkers at Newsweek feel his disappearance was voluntary. He had been depressed for at least a year, due mainly to the deteriorating relationship with his wife and growing dissatisfaction with his job. Despite his high-profile position, he had struggled financially for years. More than a few of Lake's associates thought he just wanted some peace, although none seem to find suicide likely.
Lake was a lover of the arts, including literature and theater; he preferred folk and country music. He was an extremely talented writer and editor and was a voracious reader. He was not impressed with material wealth and, if still alive today, he is likely to have chosen a very simple lifestyle.
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