Alex Kahn, 94; UPI Journalist for 40 Years Largely Covered Sports

Alex Kahn, 94, who worked for United Press International for 40 years, including 15 years as the wire service’s Southern California sports editor, died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Kahn continued working as a freelancer for UPI and Associated Press after his retirement from UPI in 1973, covering major league baseball and horseracing at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park.

Kahn was a lifetime honorary member of the Baseball Writers Assn. of America and in 1992 he received the Los Angeles chapter’s Bob Hunter Award for coverage of the sport. He also covered Olympic games, World Series, Super Bowls and championship boxing matches.

At UPI, Kahn was a versatile reporter. He covered the story of Kathy Fiscus, a little girl who fell into a well pipe in the 1950s, and reported on the plane-crash death of actress Carole Lombard.

UPI said Kahn was the first reporter to obtain the Japanese war declaration by Emperor Hirohito in 1941.

Kahn was a graduate of UCLA, where he was city editor of the Daily Bruin in 1929-30.

He served three years with the Navy during World War II and was a lieutenant commander upon his discharge.

He was assigned to an attack transport that was involved in six Pacific invasions.