Previous Hall of Fame Inductees

2024  2023  2022  2018  2017  2016  2015  2014  2013  2012  2011  2010  2009  2008  2007  2006  2005  2004  2003  2002  2001  2000  1990-1999  1980-1990  1970-1980

2024

Mack Owen is the founder and creative director of The Owen Group Advertising Agency in Lubbock and serves as the president of Texas Sports Marketing. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising from Texas Tech University in 1981, his journey began with seven years as a copywriter and account manager at Phil Price Advertising in Lubbock. In 1988, Owen embarked on his entrepreneurial venture by establishing The Owen Group, which has since garnered acclaim for its creative work through numerous local, regional, and national American Advertising Federation (AAF) Awards. Notably, the agency received the AAF National Addy Award and multiple national Telly Awards, along with earning distinction with two 2012 National Pixie Awards for outstanding animated television commercials.

An advocate for the advertising industry, Owen has served as the past president of the Lubbock Advertising Federation and held positions on the AAF National Board of Directors in 1990 and 1991. He is a frequent judge for the AAF, having presided over competitions across various states, including Chicago, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and Tennessee. In recognition of his work, Owen was honored with The Silver Medal Award by the American Advertising Federation in 1994. Further accolades include being named Outstanding Alumni in the College of Media and Communication in 2004, faculty advisor for the university's AAF Student Competition Team in 2003, and his ongoing role as a guest lecturer in the college.

Under Owen's leadership, The Owen Group has continually provided exceptional advertising and marketing services to clients across Texas and the southwestern United States since its inception. With a diverse portfolio spanning various metropolitan areas such as Lubbock, Amarillo, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, and Bryan/College Station, his agency has consistently delivered innovative solutions tailored to client needs.

Beyond his accomplishments in advertising, Owen's talents extend to sports broadcasting. From 2003 to 2008, he served as voice of Lubbock Christian University Baseball, coinciding with his eldest son's participation on the team. In 2010, he established Texas Sports Marketing to spearhead athletic marketing endeavors for the Lubbock Independent School District, notably handling all radio broadcasts for Lubbock ISD high school sports.

2023

Sam Monaco

2022

Chris Traylor

Chris Traylor has been involved in public service and virtually every aspect of healthcare and social services for more than a quarter of a century. His experience and expertise put him at the forefront of legislative innovation, reform and regulation and today he is a respected healthcare expert and leader.

Chris served in the top healthcare positions both for both state and federal governments, having been appointed to these roles by by two Texas Governors and the President of the United States. He led both the state's Medicaid program, and the Medicaid program nationally.

Successful at every level of the federal and state government, he retired from public service in 2019 after serving a Presidential appointment as national Deputy Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. His lengthy public service career in Texas concluded in 2016 when he retired from his position as Executive Commissioner and CEO of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). HHSC is the largest agency in both budget and employee numbers in the entire state government of Texas and serves over five million Texans annually. Traylor oversaw more than 56,000 employees and a budget of almost $40 billion during his time at HHSC.

Traylor previously served as the Chief Deputy Executive Commissioner of HHSC in Texas and led the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) as Commissioner from 2010 to 2012. During his tenure DADS, the agency implemented broad reforms to improve services for people with physical and intellectual disabilities, and extended community care options for Texans.

His resume includes work as key legislative staffer in both the Texas House and Senate as well as in Washington, D.C., where he worked on staff for different members in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

Currently, Traylor owns and leads health care consulting firms, serving clients in multiple states on managed care, hospital operations, long term care, and bio-health.

2018

Jerry Hudson

Dr. Jerry C. Hudson is the retired founding dean of the College of Media & Communication at Texas Tech University. He holds a bachelor's and a master's degree from West Texas A&M University and a Ph.D. from the University of North Texas. He is the author or co-author of 50 papers, six book chapters and more than 30 publications and proceedings. His research concentration is in dissemination of health care information and Hispanic media use consumerism.

Dr. Hudson has experience in commercial broadcasting including radio and television sales, radio personality, television sports personality and weather person. He has served as a research consultant on more than 100 marketing/advertising projects including research and marketing plans for banks, hospitals, media companies, political candidates, shopping malls and retail stores. He also served as the Media Director for the JECOR/VOTRAKON Project, U.S. Department of Labor, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Prior to joining Texas Tech University, Dr. Hudson was director of mass communications at Lamar University. At Texas Tech, he served as director of the School of Mass Communications; coordinator of graduate studies and director of the Institute of Communication Research; and founding dean of the College of Mass Communications. Dr. Hudson has served as president of the Texas Association of Broadcast Educators and the Southwest Council of Journalism and Mass Communications. He has been recognized by three different university committees for teaching excellence. In 1995, he was awarded the President's Academic Achievement award. The American Advertising Federation's 10th District honored Dr. Hudson in 1995 as the Outstanding Advertising Educator. The Lubbock Advertising Federation awarded him the Silver Medal Award in 2002. Hudson was inducted into the West Texas A&M Mass Communications Hall of Fame in 2016. 

2017

In lieu of a 2017 Hall of Fame award, the College of Media & Communication recognized long-time CoMC professor, Bill Dean Ph.D., with a Lifetime Service award.

2016

William Marcy

Dr. William Marcy retired in August 2008 from his position as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs after 34 years of service to Texas Tech University. Before becoming provost in 2002, he served as dean of the Whitacre College of Engineering at Texas Tech for five years. Prior to being dean, he served as senior associate dean of engineering and earlier as chair of the Department of Computer Science for 10 years.

He holds three degrees in engineering from Texas Tech. He earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1964 and his master's degree in electrical engineering in 1966. Marcy was the first person to receive an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in engineering from Texas Tech when he earned his degree in 1972.

He was selected as a Distinguished Engineer of the Whitacre College of Engineering in 2003. In 2007 he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Texas Tech Alumni Association.

Marcy has more than 45 years of experience as a management consultant, engineering educator, software developer and a practicing engineer. His industrial and business experience includes serving as chief operating officer of Information Planning Corporation in Dallas, as manager of business planning and development for the National Supply Company in Houston, and as an outside director of FSI International, in Chaska, Minn. Marcy continues to serve as an outside director for Concorde Value Fund in Dallas and is a licensed professional engineer in Texas.

His experience with the U.S. government includes employment by the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C. from 1965 to 1974. He served as a technical security officer and CIA branch chief during this period. He gained wide international experience and perspectives while serving with the CIA.

Marcy's research interests are real-time systems, robotics, automated reasoning, high-reliability software and computer security. He has directed numerous funded research projects including solar energy and software development for learning management systems. He served as the principle investigator for the Texas Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (T-STEM) Center grant from the Texas Education Agency for seven years.

Marcy returned to Texas Tech in October 2008 on a part-time basis to serve as the executive director of the Murdough Center for Engineering Professionalism and the National Institute for Engineering Ethics. He continues to teach engineering ethics online at both the undergraduate and graduate level. His engineering ethics courses are open to all students at Texas Tech as a humanities elective as well as to students from other universities. Over the last eight years more than 2,300 students have completed his online engineering ethics courses.

2015

Stephen Beasley

Stephen (Steve) Beasley began his newspaper career shortly after graduation from Texas Tech. He began as a retail advertising sales representative at The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal in June 1972. There he rose in the ranks to be an assistant classified manager, retail manager, and advertising director. In 1990, after a short stint as advertising director in Leesburg, Florida, Beasley returned to Texas as advertising director at the Amarillo Globe-News. In 2001 he was named marketing director in Amarillo and in 2002 was named general manager of the Savannah (Georgia) Morning News. In 2004, Beasley returned to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal as publisher of his hometown newspaper (for which he was a newspaper carrier in 1961 and 1962).

Beasley was active in the newspaper industry having served as president of the Texas Newspaper Advertising Managers Association, vice president from Texas in the International Newspaper Advertising and Marketing Association, and president of the Midwest Newspaper Advertising Executives Association. Twice in Beasley's tenure as publisher, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal was named the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors Newspaper of the Year (2011 and 2014).

Beasley was active in the United Way throughout his career. In Lubbock, he served as Small Business division chairman, campaign vice-chairman, and marketing division chairman. In Amarillo, Beasley served as co-chair and vice chairman of the Loaned Executive Division. In Savannah, he chaired the newspaper's campaign initiative. After returning to Lubbock in 2004, Beasley served on the board of directors of the United Way of Lubbock, the Science Spectrum, the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, South Plains Fair (president in 2013), and served on the capital campaign to build Hope Lodge.

Beasley graduated from Texas Tech in May 1972, with a BBA degree in Advertising. He was named an outstanding alumnus of the College of Media & Communication in 2005.

Beasley is married to Phyllis and has two grown children—Tammy of Lubbock and Heather of Dallas. He retired from the newspaper business in March 2015 and resides in Lubbock.

 

2014

David Swofford

David Swofford graduated from Texas Tech University's College of Media & Communication in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. Swofford got his start in the broadcasting field while working at Texas Tech's student-run radio station, KTXT-FM. Originally interested in sports broadcasting, Swofford covered Texas Tech baseball games during his career at the radio station.

During his last year as an undergraduate, Swofford began working at KLBK-TV and eventually became news director. After working at KLBK-TV for four years, Swofford moved to Austin and began working at KTBC-TV. During his time there, Swofford covered numerous major stories including the Reagan-Gorbachev summit in Washington, D.C., and even had the chance to travel to Mexico to cover a story about Africanized bees.

After 11 years at KTBC-TV, Swofford transitioned into the field of public relations, specifically video game public relations. He has handled public relations and communications for multiple video game companies, including Electronic Arts and NCSOFT. Swofford has also been working with Chris Roberts, CEO of Cloud Imperium Games, on a crowdfunding campaign for the video game “Star Citizen” which has raised nearly $53 million since it launched in October 2012.

Currently, Swofford serves as communications director at Cloud Imperium Games and president of Conley Swofford Media, a public relations company in Austin, Texas. Swofford runs Conley Swofford Media with his wife, Cathy Conley Swofford, a College of Media & Communication graduate who was recognized as an outstanding alumnus in 2013.

2013

Ron Askew

Ron Askew earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in advertising with a minor in marketing in 1976 from the College of Media & Communication at Texas Tech University. He later received a Master of Science degree in advertising management from Northwestern University. He has served on the Texas Tech College of Media & Communication National Professional Advisory Board.

In his 30-year career in management positions as chairperson, CEO, CMO, board member, and entrepreneur, Askew pioneered many brand items from the numerous clients he served while at Frito-Lay, Pepsi Co., TracyLocke, the Integer Group, Coors Brewing Co., Omnicom, and others.

His work has been recognized as Best in Class by the Wall Street Journal, Ad Age, Promo Magazine, the Hub Magazine, and Sporting News.

Askew has managed a variety of consumer product, retail and service businesses, both from the client and agency sides. His skills are in building market share and producing profitable operations. Askew has a strong background in start-up ventures, new business development, strategic turnaround situations, and he has left an enduring enterprise for the future.

Currently, he is the founder and president of SQ Partners, a business and non-profit advisory group specializing in helping agencies gain and retain clients, work with emerging companies, and position themselves for acquisition. He also provides counsel and capital to selected equity funds and their investment companies.

His previous positions include chairperson at TracyLocke, where he engineered the expansion of Omnicom's TracyLocke brand to have a global footprint. International clients included PepsiCo and Hewlett-Packard. Markets included London, Paris, Dubai, and Mumbai, with further expansion preparation ready in Asia and Latin America. Notably, in 2011, Promo Magazine named TracyLocke Agency of the Year.

2012

Robert Montemayor

Robert Montemayor was a member of a Los Angeles Times team that was awarded the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Meritorious Public Service for a comprehensive 21-part series of stories on Latinos in Southern California published in 1983. Montemayor earned a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1975 from the College of Mass Communications at Texas Tech University.

Journalist, veteran marketing executive, consultant, author, and college professor, Montemayor has more than 35 years of media experience. Currently, Montemayor is a journalism instructor in Rutgers University's School of Communication and Information in New Brunswick, N.J. He is also the director of the Latino Information Network at Rutgers, a project launched in the summer of 2010 to create a database of Latino-related research and stories that will feed a website focusing on the ever-growing, diverse Latino communities within the United States.

Montemayor was editor of Texas Tech's campus newspaper, the University Daily, now the Daily Toreador, during the 1974-1975 year. In the summer of 1975, he took a job with the Dallas Times Herald as a staff writer. His most important body of work involved reporting and writing numerous stories involving the alleged civil rights violations of Mexican-Americans in Texas – most killed while in police custody. Montemayor was a member of reporting teams that twice were nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 1977 and 1978, and one that earned a George Polk Award in 1978 for its coverage of these civil rights cases.

Montemayor joined the Los Angeles Times in November 1978 as a staff writer based in San Diego, Calif. The work of Montemayor and the Times team, which was awarded the 1984 Pulitzer Prize, was later published as a book. Montemayor co-authored the lead story in the series, as well as three other stories and was the most prolific staff writer involved in the project.

In 1986, Montemayor graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a Master of Business Administration degree in marketing. During the next 22 years, he held a number of executive media and marketing management posts, working in mid- to upper-level managerial assignments at companies such as Dow Jones Inc., the McGraw-Hill Companies, and VNU Business Media. He has worked in virtually all aspects of media, including editorial; advertising; marketing; distribution; direct marketing in all forms, including consumer- and business-to-business marketing; and in the development and management of customer databases. He has managed business operations in the United States and internationally. He is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.

In 2004, Montemayor was the primary author of the book, “Right Before Our Eyes: Latinos Past, Present and Future,” a 160-page treatment focusing on the economic, political and social impact of the largest and fastest growing ethnic group in the United States.

2011

Keith Samples

Keith Samples, who earned his bachelor's degree in journalism in 1977 from Texas Tech University, is the 47th inductee into the mass communications hall of fame. The College of Media & Communication recognized Samples as an Outstanding Alumnus in 2002.

After graduation, Samples worked as the sports information director for Texas Tech University. He left Texas Tech in 1981 to become executive vice president of Sports Productions Inc., a Dallas-based company that produced and distributed live sporting events.

During a career in film and television that spans more than 25 years, Samples has been involved with the production and distribution of more than 20 feature films and dozens of television series. In 1985, Samples moved out of the sports world and accepted a position in Los Angeles as senior vice president at Lorimar-Telepictures, the producers of "Dallas," "Falcon's Crest," "Knot's Landing," and "The People's Court." He became executive vice president of Domestic Distribution at Warner Bros. in 1987. During his tenure, Samples managed a sales staff responsible for more than $1 billion in domestic program sales, including iconic hits "Murphy Brown" and "Full House."

In 1991, Samples founded and became the CEO of Rysher Entertainment, a company that has grown from the relatively humble production and distribution house behind such syndicated television hits as "Saved By the Bell" and "Highlander: The Series" to a major Hollywood player, with films such as "Big Night" and "Kingpin," both in 1996. Samples made his debut as a screenwriter and director with the romantic comedy "A Smile Like Yours" in 1997.

After selling Rysher Entertainment to Cox Communications in 1997, Samples embarked on a career as a producer/director. Since then, he has directed more than 60 episodes of prime-time television, and produced numerous films. Television directing credits include episodes of "The Practice," "Homicide: Life on the Streets," "Oz," "The O.C.," "Dawson's Creek," "Felicity," "Judging Amy," and "Reba."

In July, Samples directed Academy Award winner Russell Crowe in his North American television debut, the third-season premier of the Canadian hit "Republic of Doyle." The show will air in January 2012. Samples is a long-time member of the Directors Guild of America, the Writers Guild of America, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and the Directors Guild of Canada.

2010

Otice A. Green

The late Otice A. Green graduated in 1949 with a bachelor's degree in journalism from Texas Tech University. He was a long-time public relations and political consultant who died Feb. 7, 2010. Born in 1927, Green was a World War II Navy veteran. His wife, Mary Faye Bonds, also a journalism graduate of Texas Tech, survives him. He is the founder of the Otice A. Green Presidential Scholarship at Texas Tech.

Green began his professional career as a reporter, photographer and desk editor at the Plainview Daily Herald in 1949 before leaving in 1950 to become assistant manager of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce. His work on the chamber's Hub Magazine won several national awards. He helped to inaugurate the South Plains Maid of Cotton contest, developed press releases for the chamber and worked on the Panhandle/South Plains Fair. Green created the well-known Prairie Dog Pete campaign that attracted national and international publicity for the city.

In 1956, Green and his wife opened Otice Green and Associates, the first public relations firm in Lubbock. His clients included the Lubbock New Car and Truck Dealers Association, the High Plains Underground Water District, and several area chambers of commerce. Green was widely known as one of the state's top political consultants and was involved in more than 100 campaigns, including those of former Texas Gov. Preston Smith, former Texas Comptroller and Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock, and former U.S. Reps. George Mahon and Kent Hance, now chancellor at Texas Tech. He was the campaign manager or consultant in all of Gov. Smith's campaigns – the 1956 race for the Texas Senate, the 1962 race for lieutenant governor and the 1968, 1970 and 1972 races for governor. From 1970 until the fall of 1972, Green served as chief of staff for Gov. Smith.

Brad Moran

Brad Moran is a Lubbock native who began his broadcasting career at the age of 11. His father, Ray Moran, also a member of the Texas Tech mass communications hall of fame, gave him his start at the family-owned radio station, KTEZ. In 1982, Brad earned a Bachelor of Arts in business administration from Texas Tech University and immediately entered sales at the Moran's first television station, KJTV-34 in Lubbock. In 1985, Brad and Ray decided to affiliate the station with the fledgling Fox Network while making the move into a new state-of-the-art broadcast facility. In 1988, they expanded their television holdings, launching Telemundo 46, a Spanish-language station. Father and son became pioneers in the television industry, the first to operate multi-stations in a single market. In 1992, Brad expanded the holdings for what is now Ramar Communications, adding radio properties Magic 93.7 and FoxTalk 950. In 1985, he launched Lubbock's UPN station, and then he expanded into Albuquerque with the Telemundo affiliate. Lubbock radio stations 104.3 and Stars 97.3 were purchased in 1998 and 2002, respectively. In 2009, the Ramar radio group entered the sports broadcasting format, launching Double-T 104.3, which is the flagship station for Texas Tech athletics. Ramar Communications is currently the parent company for seven television and four radio stations in Texas and New Mexico.

Brad's accomplishments in business and community service have been honored by numerous organizations. He was the 1999 recipient of the Lubbock Advertising Federation Silver Medal. He was the 2006 Lubbock Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year and was given the 2007 Leadership Lubbock Outstanding Alumnus award. He has been elected by peers to serve five terms on the Fox Network Board of Governors. He is a past president of the Lubbock Advertising Federation and the Rotary Club of Greater Southwest Lubbock. He has co-chaired the Lubbock Arts Festival and has served as a United Way Loaned Executive. He has been a member of the South Plains Food Bank Board and the Lubbock Airport Board. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, All Saints Episcopal School and the ATO Board of Trustees.

Brad and wife, Carla, have two daughters, Ava and Ella.

2009 - Fall

Linda Rutherford

Linda Rutherford is vice president of communications and strategic outreach for Southwest Airlines, which is based in Dallas and is one of the nation's largest airline in terms of domestic customer boardings. Her responsibilities include overseeing media relations, special event planning, crisis communications and emergency response, community relations and charitable giving, corporate community affairs, public relations, emerging and multimedia relations, legislative communication and grassroots activities, Southwest's Speaker's Bureau, employee communications, and graphic design and creative services.

Rutherford earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Texas Tech University, where she graduated magna cum laude and was the 1988 Outstanding Journalism Graduate. She is a past chairperson of the Texas Tech Media & Communication Professional Advisory Committee. Prior to joining Southwest Airlines in 1992, she was a reporter for several Dallas-area suburban newspapers, including the Carrollton Chronicle, the Irving Daily News and the Collin County Community College District. She began her career as a reporter for Newsweek magazine in New York and later was a reporter for the Dallas Times Herald. Her honors include being a 2008 inductee into the Public Relations Hall of Fame for PR News magazine and a 2002 Outstanding Alumna of the Texas Tech University College of Media & Communication. PR Week recently recognized Southwest Airlines as one of the five companies that "gets social media"; PR News named Nuts About Southwest as the best corporate blog for 2007 and 2008; and PR Week named Southwest Airlines' Corporate Communications Department as the public relations Team of the Year in 2000. Rutherford's civic activities include being the vice president of community relations for the Lewisville Independent School District's Education Foundation board of directors. She has been a featured speaker for numerous organizations, including the Association for Women in Communication, the Denver Business Marketing Association, the Airports Council International-North America, the Ragan Speechwriter's Conference, and the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies.

2009 - Spring

Bob Condron

Bob Condron, a veteran of 13 Olympic Games for the United States Olympic Committee, has been director of Media Services for the USOC since 1997 and a member of the USOC staff for 24 years. In addition to directing media services at Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and World University Games, Condron leads the USOC Media Services staff in promoting and publicizing athletes and teams in the USOC family on a daily basis.

Dennis Harp, Ph.D

Dennis A. Harp, native Texan, holds a bachelor's degree in commercial art from Texas State University, as well as a master's degree in broadcasting and a doctorate in educational technology with a journalism minor from Texas A&M Commerce. He became a college instructor in 1966 and recently retired after 35 years as a professor of electronic media and communications, and associate dean of faculty, College of Media & Communication at Texas Tech University. Harp previously taught at two other state institutions for an academic career totaling 39 years.

2008

William F. (Bill) deTournillon Sr.

Bill deTournillon Jr.

The deTournillon family members are no strangers to television, and especially to the Lubbock market. He introduced his son, Bill deTournillon Jr., to Lubbock television as he served as vice president and general manager at Lubbock's KCBD-TV station. Among his 10 grandchildren, Dan Jackson is the oldest and is the third generation of broadcasters. He is the current general manager of Lubbock's KCBD-TV and broadcasts "Consider this with Dan Jackson." [...continued]

2007

Larry Beaulieu

Larry Beaulieu first traveled the broadcasting path in fall 1965, his freshman year at Texas Tech University. He came to Tech to study electrical engineering, but on a dare he auditioned for the 10-watt Tech radio station, KTXT-FM. Suddenly, he was the Saturday morning voice of the "Texaco Metropolitan Opera," which meant he did a station ID once an hour. His on-air role expanded as he became more comfortable with the microphone. Within a few months, he was running a board shift and announcing. He realized by the end of the year that broadcasting was far more fun for him than engineering and required less math. He changed his major. [...continued]

2006

Scott Pelley

CBS correspondent Scott Pelley has contributed stories to CBS' "60 Minutes" since the 2003-04 season and
was a correspondent for "60 Minutes II" from its first season in 1999.

Pelley's March 2005 "60 Minutes" investigation advanced the story about the CIA's controversial practice of rendition, delivering terror detainees to other nations known to use torture. [...continued]

2005

Chino Chapa

President & CEO of Chapa Consulting, Inc.

Marshall Clinton Formby, Jr.

Attorney, Politician, Newspaper Publisher and Radio Executive

2004

Miller Bonner

General Manager and National Director of Technology for Edelman/GTT

Jack Dale

The "Voice of the Texas Tech Red Raiders."

2003

Kirk Carr

Advertising Services Director, The Wall Street Journal

2002

Jim Ferguson

President & Chief Creative Officer, Young & Rubican New York.

2001

George Irish

President Newspaper Group, Corporate Vice President, The Hearst Corporation.

2000

Larry Franklin

Chairman and CEO of Harte-Hanks, Inc.

1999

Marty Haag

Senior vice president, news/broadcast division for A.H. Belo Corp.

1998

Ralph Sellmeyer

Twenty years as Media & Communication faculty member, Texas Tech University

Jerry Henderson

United Way Director for Public Relations, Lubbock

1997

Nelda Armstrong

First woman to own an advertising agency in Lubbock; earned Sterling Service District 10 Award, the Lubbock Advertising Federation's Silver Medal award; Lubbock Addy Awards and awards from the National Agri-Marketing Association; WICI's Business Woman of the Year (1981) and Communicator of the Year (1983); provides the College of Media & Communication with internships and employment opportunities for students.

1996

L. Ray Ward

Established the “Public Utilities Communicators Association President's Scholarship” for advertising and public relations majors; served thirty years with the Texas Utilities System in public relations and advertising; a member of the mass communications advisory committee from 1977-1983 and 1990-1992.

1995

Phil Price

Served as professional adviser to the student ad club for 10 years; a member of the mass communications advisory committee; provides internship and employment opportunities for Media & Communication students; president of The Price Communications Group, Inc.

1994

Phil J. Record

Chairman of the mass communications advisory committee from 1990-1992; worked for the Fort Worth Star Telegram for more than 40 years and serves as ombudsman and special assistant to the publisher; worked for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal; has earned 19 journalistic awards.

1993

Ray Moran

Chaired the School's Foundation Committee from 1987 to 1992; president of Ramar Communications, Inc.; served on the School's mass communications advisory committee; donated tower space for KTXT; provided internship and employment opportunities for Media & Communication students.

1992

Camille Keith

Vice president of Southwest Airlines and Mass Communications Advisory Committee. Served as president of the Dallas Press Club Foundation, Dallas Advertising League, and Dallas Repertory Theatre; named as Who's Who in Advertising, Aviation, American, Southwest and of Women; supports the School with scholarships, internships and service.

1991

Dr. Billy I. Ross

Served as first chairman of the Department of Mass Communications; established the mass communications advisory committee, the Mass Communications Hall of Fame, Mass Communications Week, the L.U. Kaiser Innovative Teaching Award and the Thomas Jefferson Award; received many regional national awards including AAF'S 1989 Distinguished Advertising Educator of the Year Award.

1990

C. R. "Choc" Hutcheson

Graduated in journalism from Texas Tech; first news director at KCBD-TV in Lubbock; supports Media & Communication through scholarships.

1989

William S. Morris, III

Recognized for his work and assistance in establishing the Texas Tech College of Media & Communication; former director of the Associated Press and the American Newspapers Publishers Association; nationally known for his contributions to mass communications education.

1988

Ray Poindexter

Donated the KTXT-TV tower in 1979 and served as chairman of the mass communications advisory committee from 1984 to 1986.

1987

Frank W. Mayborn

Supported the department's graduate program and pioneered the internship program for journalism students; received a special award from the Texas Daily Newspaper Association for 50 years of service to the newspaper industry.

1986

W. D. "Dub" Rogers, Jr.

Helped bring television to Lubbock and to Texas Tech; a television pioneer who helped take television from the big city to medium and small-sized markets

1985

Donald H. Waddington, Sr.

President of Branham Newspaper Sales, New York. Served as an original member and chairman of the mass communications advisory committee from 1977 to 1980; recognized national leader in newspaper sales.

1984

Clint Formby

Texas Pioneer in Radio Broadcasting. Organized the Mass Communications Advisory Committee; served as chairman of the Texas Tech Board of Regents; served as an officer for several state and national broadcasting associations.

1983

Jack Butler

Served as chairman of the Mass Communications Advisory Committee from 1974 to 1977; retired as editor and senior vice-president of the Fort Worth Star Telegram in 1981.

1982

Gordon Hanna

Rose from the staff of the Toreador to the editorships of the Memphis Commercial Appeal and the Evansville Press; named general manager and vice-president of the E. W. Scripps Company.

1981

Gordon B. McLendon

Gained national recognition as one of the giants of the broadcasting industry through his establishment of the Liberty Broadcasting System; donated his memorabilia to the College of Media & Communication

1980

Harry Montgomery

Served as first editor of the Texas Tech Toreador, now The Daily Toreador; associate editor of The Phoenix Gazette and member of the Texas Tech mass communications advisory committee for eight years.

1979

Wayne Sellers

Publisher of Palestine Herald-Press. Achieved statewide recognition as publisher of the Palestine Herald-Press and president of the Texas Daily Newspaper Association; honored as the Texas Journalism Council's "Friend of Journalism Educators."

1978

Wendell Mayes, Jr.

Texas pioneer in broadcasting. Served as Chairman of the Texas Tech Board of Regents; received national recognition for his service to the broadcasting industry; an original member of the mass communications advisory committee and served as its second chairman.

1977

J. Culver Hill

Director of Advertising and Public Relations, Hempill Wells Company. Longtime supporter of Media & Communication at Texas Tech; Tech's advertising society is named in his honor; many students receive scholarships as a part of his generous donation to the college.

1976

L.U. Kaiser

Chairman of the Board, The Premier Company. An original member of the mass communications advisory committee; created the innovative teacher awards for the department; posthumously named to the Direct Marketing Association's Hall of Fame.

1975

C.W. Ratliff

News director at KCBD-TV. Considered the "Dean of West Texas Journalism"; one of the first editors of the university newspaper and one of the first graduates of the department.

1974

Wallace E. Garets

Served as the chair of the Department of Journalism for 14 years and helped the department receive its accreditation; served as national president of the American Society of Journalism School Administrators

1973

Don Belding

Founder of Foote, Cone & Belding Advertising Agency. Supported Texas Tech by bringing international students to the campus through the Don Belding Fund.

Joe Bryant

Lubbock pioneer broadcaster. Aided in the establishment of the Department of Mass Communications. Advertising students are eligible to receive the Joe Bryant scholarship.