FRANK J. KOZA

Frank was born and raised in Cleveland, living on Daisy Avenue, attending St. Procop Catholic School on West 41st. As an usher at the Lyceum Theater (formerly on Fulton Road), and while attending Lincoln High School in Cleveland, Frank got a job as the advertising manager for Lincoln's lunch period movies. As he continued to learn the movie business, he soon became chief movie operator. After graduation Frank became lead machine operator, head set-up and daytime supervisor for the turret lathe section at the Marion Instrument Company. Upon an inquiry from his dad, Frank responded to a job advertisement in the Cleveland Plain Dealer for a theater manager at the Telenews Theater (241 Euclid Ave.). Frank not only ran the theater but also managed the Telenews Lounge, an exhibit hall located underneath the Telenews Theater, editing the theatrical newsreels to put together a one hour news reel show. Also during this time, Frank coordinated a war bond drive with Sid Luckman, football player and Benny Leonard, pro boxer and in two days, raised over two million dollars in war bond sales. Exhibits displayed promoted the military, employment for war factories and materials made in Cleveland that were used by the military. The two biggest exhibits were 1) the Navy wanted to introduce the 25 man life raft which were to be used on the naval ships. The Navy wanted to use 25 Seamen to promote the life raft, however, Frank insisted on using 25 Waves along with one Seaman. The Navy was so pleased with the results of the news coverage that they left the display up for two weeks and it helped increased naval enlistments. 2) Frank promoted a company that needed employees to work all shifts and after the display was up for two weeks, all positions were filled. While working at the theater, Frank met a cameraman, Basil Picone who was the photographer for the exhibit hall, and from here, the rest is history. Frank eventually learned the camera business, getting his first camera, a 4x5 Speedgraphic (used by newspaper photographers), shooting weddings, bar mitzvahs and the like. Frank then purchased a 35mm Eyemo camera that he used to shoot news stories for the shows, which were highlighted on the theater marquee, stories such as the Soap Box Derby and filming bomber plane production at the Bomber Plant (now the IX Center). Frank worked as an electrician during the International Alliance Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) convention being held at Cleveland Public Hall, July 1948. This is where the Business Agent for the Cameraman's union gave him the application for membership into the union. In October, Frank was sworn in as a member of International Photographers Union, Local 666, on stage at Public Hall. While still managing the theater Frank would cover major news stories from around the area that were used in the theatrical newsreels at the following studios: Paramount News, News of the Day, Movietone News, Universal News Reel and Pathe News. When Telenews decided to put out its own newsreel, that's when Frank was assigned to Korea as a war correspondent to replace a cameraman killed in action. During his coverage of the war, Frank covered the bombing of Chinese Troops coming across the Yalu River and interviewed Admiral Ewen after the first navy pilot shot down a Chinese MIG aircraft. In Seoul, Korea, when General Macarthur presented Korea back to Syngman Rhee, Ruler of South Korea, the jeep assigned to him was taken and he had to ride on the spare tire of another writers jeep, carrying his camera gear and film, for 14 miles so he could make the military shuttle back to Japan in order to get his film on the flight to New York. At that time it took two and one half days of flight time to the trip to New York. After returning from Korea, he declined the New York staff assignment and went on to Washington DC as a Telenews cameraman, working with Harry S. Truman, President. Frank as a pool cameraman (which means one photographer is selected to photograph an event and the pictures are distributed to the news media and newspapers) covered Queen Elizabeth II's visit to America meeting with President Truman at the Canadian Embassy, this was before she was formally crowned as Queen of England. Another major coverage of President Truman was at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Baltimore, Frank was the only cameraman to film Harry Truman's announcement that he would not be a presidential candidate in the 1952 elections. Frank was then asked to move to Chicago to open a film office that would cover national stories and to be lead photographer on the Adali E. Stevenson presidential campaign. Also during this time Frank covered all the missile shots at Cape Kennedy (formerly Cape Canaveral) including the very first missile launched into space, called the Grapefruit as well as Apollo 11. Other events covered by Frank: Akron Soap Box Derbies, Indianapolis 500's, Kentucky Derbies, many baseball training camps, world series and all-star games, NFL football games, including the first Super Bowl game held in Green Bay, WI, and numerous college football games. In 1959 while filming the Super Bowl football game in New Orleans, Frank was called at halftime to leave the game, get on a plane, fly to Miami, where he caught a charter flight to Cuba, to interview Fidel Castro. Approaching the airport, the plane was shot upon and the pilot turned the plane around and went back to Miami. The pilot then learned that the firing was a mistake and Castro requested the plane to return to Cuba .The pilot refused to fly the plane back to Cuba and Frank eventually got there by another plane. He rented an old car and drove 250 miles to meet with Castro, dodging guns and fury, upon showing his White House Credential, he was able to travel and meet Castro without any further incidents. When they met, Castro put his arms around Frank and said "I heard you had troubles!" with that they laughed. Castro then let Frank know there was photography equipment left behind from cameramen previously there and he could take the equipment back to the States. This extra equipment worked out great for Frank. He went to Cuba with his 35mm silent camera but, because there was a sound camera within the available equipment, and even thought the amplifier had a bullet hole in it, Frank was able to do an in-depth interview with Castro, which was used for syndication. In 1964, Frank was sworn in as President of the International Photographer's Union, Local 666- central division, which he held for fourteen years, the next ten years, he was a Business Agent. Frank was assigned by Telenews to shoot a documentary film on Frank Lloyd Wright for the United States Information Agency (USIA). It was Frank Lloyd Wright's 89th birthday, and was filmed in Spring Green, WI. An interesting note Frank learned about Mr. Wright is that most of his designs were created and built from a seated position. Frank was taking a picture of a room in the house from a seated position and Mr. Wright wanted to know what he was doing. Frank commented that taking a picture from a seated position is the way it looked best for the picture. Mr. Wright laughed and indicated that this is how he designed the room, from a seated position! Frank continued on with Telenews until 1968 at which time he became a freelance cameraman. As a freelance cameraman, Frank worked with the three major networks, NBC, ABC and CBS covering major news stories. One of Frank's more memorable stories is the morning spent with Mayor Richard J. Daley of Chicago. Mayor Daley was speaking to different groups of which Frank was a part of the motorcade, covering the events. Mayor Daley went to a doctor's appointment while the film crew went to lunch at the Press Club. During lunch Frank received an emergency phone call from the news desk stating that Mayor Daley had passed away at the doctor's office and he was to return and stay with Mayor Daley for coverage. Other news events that Frank covered were Mrs. Franklin Roosevelt visiting Chicago: the 25 year premiere event of Gone With The Wind in Atlanta, GA; waiting to film the Cimarron movie in Oklahoma City, Frank was chatting with Anne Baxter while waiting for Glenn Ford to arrive from France. Frank later learned upon Anne Baxter's death that she was the granddaughter of Frank Lloyd Wright. Frank had spent over two hours with her not knowing this, yet he had just completed a film documentary on Mr. Wright; League of Women Voters in Pittsburgh for the USIA; Mardi Gras (for 30 consecutive years); the Cleveland Air Races including the crash and death of pilot Bill Odum; Cleveland Air shows; Cleveland Clinic's X-Ray section fire; plane crash at Midway Airport; coverage of Lyndon Bird Johnson in Pittsburgh; NET coverage at the White House; Little Brothers of the War for USIA; USIA convention; Olympic Games; the grand opening of Disney World; Democratic and Republican conventions; natural disasters; Canton Hall of Fame football game; World Series of Golf; dedication and opening of the Air Force Academy in Colorado; Pan Am games; major film movie premieres held throughout the country; and many, many, more. Frank retired as a cameraman in 1992, resided in Chicago for over 54 years, was an usher at Queen of All Saints Basilica, a member of the Over 50 Club and the Men's Club. He was a gold card lifetime member of the IATSE; lifetime member of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineer (SMPTE) and the National Press Photographer's Association (NPPA) and National Rifle Association (NRA), member of White House News Photographer's Association. In October 2004 Frank was knighted at third degree by the Knight of Columbus. Frank is preceded in death by his wife Helen (nee Kokoszka), his parents Frank J. Sr., Albina (nee Prokop) and brothers Roland L. and Thomas P. who were both also in the motion picture business. Funeral Services will be held on Monday May 13, 2013 at 10:00 AM. Interment Calvary Cemetery. Friends received Monday from 9:00 - 10:00 AM at the A. RIPEPI AND SONS FUNERAL HOME, 3202 FULTON ROAD, CLEVELAND, OHIO 44109. (216) 281-8800 Visitation May 13, 2013 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM A. RIPEPI AND SONS FUNERAL HOME 3202 Fulton Road Cleveland, OH (216) 281-8800 Funeral Service May 13, 2013 10:00 AM A. RIPEPI AND SONS FUNERAL HOME 3202 Fulton Road Cleveland, OH (216) 281-8800 Interment Calvary Cemetery 10000 Miles Ave. Cleveland, OH (216) 641-7575