During high school, he started off as a part-time sports reporter in his hometown making five dollars a game. He applied to work for more than fifty newspapers, but only one called him back for an interview. In 1956, he joined the "Akron Beacon Journal" at age 28 and was a reporter on the state desk. He would be the first black editor at the journal, and would inspire more minorities to join in his field. He was among the first African Americans to be admitted into the American Society of News Editors. His award-winning coverage of the Kent State Shooting made him well known following his promotion to news editor. In 1973, he was the African American to run a newsroom after his next promotion to managing editor, and then four years later he was named executive editor. When the Knight Ridder, which owned the "Akron Beacon Journal", was informed by letter from Fitzpatrick about the absence of diversity on the workforce, the company actually offered him a job as director of minority affairs. After two years, he became vice president of minority affairs and worked in that capacity for another seven years at Knight Ridder. He taught at Kent State University and was an interim chairman at Howard University from 2001-2002. During his twenty-nine year career, he managed to hold every position in a newspaper staff.