An association for alumni and supporters of The Daily Texan, student newspaper at the University of Texas at Austin

Hall of Fame Members

In Memoriam: Sara Lee Speights

Died Feb. 17, 2021 Complications of a stroke Austin She worked on The Texan as a reporter in 1963 and 1964 and was amusements editor in 1965-66. She was a reporter, then political assistant for Texas legislators and Governor. Mark White. All Democrats. Lobbyist for home health care groups. She also was on the staff of the Texas Health Department.

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In Memoriam: Hayden Freeman

Died Oct. 24, 2020 Heart disease San Antonio He was The Texan’s amusements editor in the mid-1960s. After graduation, he lived in the family’s San Antonio home and volunteered with cultural and civic organizations, including the San Antonio Symphony, Opera San Antonio, the Conservation Society, Trinity University’s FM radio station and the University of the Incarnate Word.

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In Memoriam: Sam Keach

Died April 24, 2020 Robstown Sam Fore Keach, a Robstown area resident for all but three of his 75 years, 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. A 1963 graduate of Robstown High School, 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 […]

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Dean Bernhardt reappointed as dean of Moody College of Communication

Congratulations Dean Jay Bernhardt on reappointment as Dean of Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin. Announcement below from Moody and Dean Bernhardt and a congratulations from Friends of The Daily Texan. From Moody College of Communication: Dean Jay Bernhardt has been reappointed for a second six-year term as dean of Moody College of Communication. Over the next six years, he will lead #TEXASMoody to become the most impactful communication college in the world. “My hope for Moody in the coming years is that we retain the things that make us excellent and impactful, most importantly […]

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Three editors named to lead The Daily Texan in year ahead

Three senior editors have been named to lead The Daily Texan, student newspaper at the University of Texas at Austin, in the coming year. They are: Editor-in-Chief : Megan Tran Megan Tran is The Daily Texan editor-in-Chief for the next year. Megan first began at the Texan as an opinion columnist during her freshman year and became an opinion associate editor during Summer 2021. During this time, she wrote columns and contributed to editorials on a variety of issues and advocated for on-campus changes to better support students from marginalized communities. This past spring, she served as Assistant Director of […]

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Former Texan staffer Valentino-DeVries wins Pulitzer for National Reporting at The New York Times

Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, a a Daily Texan staffer and Managing Editor in 2000, is part of The New York Times team that won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting. The Times’ project was described by the judges: “For an ambitious project that quantified a disturbing pattern of fatal traffic stops by police, illustrating how hundreds of deaths could have been avoided and how officers typically avoided punishment.” Overall, The New York Times won three Pulitzer Prizes this year and was named as a finalist five more times when awards were announced on May 9. The New York Times shared comments from […]

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Daily Texan alum Falkenberg, colleagues win 2022 Pulitzer in editorial writing

Samantha Ketterer, Staff writer The Houston Chronicle The Houston Chronicle Editorial Board on May 9 won a 2022 Pulitzer Prize in editorial writing for a series on voter suppression in Texas. The top honor was awarded to writers Lisa Falkenberg, Michael Lindenberger, Joe Holley and Luis Carrasco. Mostly published in a series called, “The Big Lie,” their winning work examined and debunked GOP-driven falsehoods about voter fraud that have persisted for decades. Falkenberg is a journalism graduate of the University of Texas and a former staffer at The Daily Texan. “Our editorial team is committed to journalism excellence each and every […]

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Some Daily Texan Memories from the 60’s

Editor’s Note: Richard Cole is a respected and internationally known educator and journalist who traces his background to The Daily Texan at the University of Texas at Austin, where he served two terms as Managing Editor. For 26 years he served as dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Cole is a new member of The Daily Texan Hall of Fame. As part of that recognition, a colleague and longtime friend from his days at UT asked him to record some of his memories of student journalism at The […]

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UT President Hartzell to speak at Friends of Daily Texan dinner

University of  Texas President Jay Hartzell will speak at the April 8 Friends of The Daily Texan Hall of Fame dinner on the Austin campus. Hartzell will join Moody College of Communication Dean Jay Bernhardt, who also will speak to the group. Twice postponed due to the pandemic, the event on April 8 in the Shirley Bird Perry ballroom of  The Texas Union building will begin with a social hour at 6 p.m., and continue at 7 p.m. with the dinner. In addition to remarks by Hartzell and Bernhardt, the dinner will recognize Daily Texan Hall of Fame honorees, including […]

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Sponsor a student to attend Daily Texan dinner

Not able to attend the annual Friends of The Daily Texan Hall of Fame dinner on April 8? Please consider sponsoring a Texan staffer to attend. You may sponsor a student or register to attend here: https://friendsdailytexan.wildapricot.org/event-4702996 The April 8 Friends of The Daily Texan Hall of Fame dinner will honor distinguished “graduates” of The Daily Texan, including a nationally-known medical reporter/podcaster, a decades-long columnist and expert on Texas politics, three Pulitzer Prize winning photographers, two Washington Post senior staffers – one Managing Editor of diversity and inclusion, and the second an expert on Wall Street and government programs to save […]

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