With COVID-19 forced cancellation of Friends of The Daily Texan Hall of Fame dinner and fund-raiser last fall, the Friends group has created a “virtual” celebration to honor those who would normally be recognized in person. Ten Daily Texan Hall of Fame honorees are being honored and 7 Texan staffers have received scholarship awards. All are recognized in a series of videos on the Friends of The Daily Texan YouTube channel. A total of 15 Texan reporters and videographers, hired by the Friends group, did the interviews and video work. The videos are short and concise – 5 minutes or […]
Read more →By Natalie England, Assistant Director of Communications Moody College of Communication Ruth and Paul SoRelle met as journalism students working at The Daily Texan. “I was on the copydesk, and he came in (to the newsroom) to schmooze with the copy chief,” Ruth recalled. “Paul was (still in school) and also with the Long News Service covering the Legislature. I remember he had on a suit – an usual form of dress in the late 1960s.” Initially friends, they started dating and eventually announced their marriage engagement to their families, which prompted a “heated discussion on the wedding and […]
Read more →For two decades, two Associated Press Photographers who met at The Daily Texan traveled war zones and pockets of peace in Central America, South Asia, Africa and the Mideast, taking photos that would win each a Pulitzer Prize in Photography. Those two photographers – John McConnico and Jean-Marc Bouju – were recently named members of The Daily Texan Hall of Fame, sponsored by Friends of The Daily Texan, Inc. They are other Daily Texan 2020-2021 Hall of Fame honorees will be featured in a series of videos to be released in coming weeks. Because of health concerns, the Friends group […]
Read more →In 1924, Achilles Mehault “Mayo” Bessan and his eighteen-year-old bride journeyed from New Orleans to Mexico, where he ultimately transformed a dirt-floored cantina in Nuevo Laredo into a bar and restaurant renowned across the United States for its fine seafood and fancy cocktails. That story comes to life in “Pancho Villa’s Saddle at the Cadillac Bar, Recipes and Memories,” which will be published this fall by Texas A&M Press. The author, Wanda Garner Cash, is a granddaughter of the founder and a daughter of Porter Garner, who built its modern reputation during his tenure from 1946 until 1979. Cash, who […]
Read more →The Washington Post has named Krissah Thompson as its first managing editor for diversity and inclusion. The 41-year-old newsroom veteran is the first African American woman to become managing editor in the paper’s 143-year history. And she’s an alum of The Daily Texan. Congratulations to Krissah and The Post. Below is a profile of Krissah from the Friends of The Daily Texan website, recounting her days at The Texan and her career. And her bio: Education: Master of Journalism, University of Maryland; College Park & Bachelor of Journalism and Plan II Honors, University of Texas at Austin Krissah Thompson began writing for […]
Read more →Senator Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, has won the 2020 Ann Faragher Sweepstakes Award, the Press Women of Texas’ (PWT) highest distinction during its annual communications contest. Named for the trailblazing journalist who became one of the first women to serve as editor of a daily newspaper in Texas, it is given to the contest participant who earns the most first-place entries. This is Senator Zaffirini’s thirteenth time receiving the award. Senator Zaffirini is a former staffer of The Daily Texan, a member and supporter of Friends of The Daily Texan, and in 2016 was named to The Daily Texan Hall of […]
Read more →Sam Keach, whose family has been a fixture in Texas journalism for 80 years, died April 24 in Corpus Christi. Keach was well-known across the state and was former editor of The Robstown Record (later The Nueces County Record Star), beginning his newspaper work as a “printer’s devil” and photographer at 12 years old. He earned his Bachelor of Journalism degree in 1966 from The University of Texas. While at UT, he was managing editor of The Daily Texan and worked on the sports and news staff, covering some of Darrell K. Royal’s greatest moments with the Longhorns on the […]
Read more →The Houston Chronicle Houston Chronicle immigration reporter Lomi Kriel has won a prominent national award for her work on the Trump Administration’s immigration policy, including family separation at the southern border and the Remain in Mexico program. The 71st annual George Polk Awards in Journalism, honoring 15 winners in 14 categories for their reporting in 2019, were recently announced. Kriel, a former staffer at The Daily Texan at the University of Texas at Austin, was recognized in 2015 as a Rising Star, as part of The Texan Hall of Fame annual dinner, sponsored by Friends of the Daily Texan, Inc. […]
Read more →Professor Judy Walgren has accepted the appointment of Associate Director for the Michigan State University School of Journalism. Walgren’s role will parallel other units in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Walgren’s full range of duties is still being developed, but her main initial duty will be to work on course scheduling and staffing for summer and fall 2020. Walgren is the J-School’s Professor of Practice for Photojournalism and New Media. She is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist, photo editor, executive producer, curator, writer and teacher who brings experience to our students from her tenures at The Dallas Morning News, […]
Read more →The Houston Chronicle A project is underway to convert most of Sylvan Rodriguez Park in Clear Lake to coastal prairie and forest ecosystems, which Houston District E authorities say will have multiple benefits for the area such as preventing erosion, filtering water and fostering wildlife. Areas restored through the four-phase project will include a boardwalk and trails. Interpretive signs will allow visitors to learn about natural habitats that once existed in the region and how native prairies and wetlands are important to wildlife and people, according to information from District E City Council member Dave Martin’s office. Houston Parks and […]
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