Howard E. Staats was a reporter, editor and administrator in 10 Associated Press (AP) offices, including AP's headquarters in New York. He began his AP career as a newsman in Austin, followed by news assignments in Dallas and Houston. He represented AP's broadcast division in the Rocky Mountain states while stationed in Denver, then returned to Texas and for two years served as AP's broadcast sales representative for the state. In 1970, he returned to the news side, running the AP bureau in Spokane, Washington. In 1971, he was appointed bureau chief in Salt Lake City. Following a brief assignment in Utah and Idaho, he was promoted to chief of bureau in upstate New York, based in Albany where he served for seven years before moving to AP's headquarters. Following administrative assignments in New York and Washington, D.C., Staats returned to the news side with his appointment as Kentucky chief of bureau in 1984, a position he held until retiring from his 41-year career in 2002.