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1942-43 James F. Donahue Freeport Facts-Review

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James F. Donahue served as 65th president of Texas Press Association and as a buck private in the U.S. States Army Air Corps at the same time.

He was born in Des Moines, Iowa, Dec. 16, 1909, and came to Texas in 1911. He started his newspaper career writing sports for the Tyler Courier-Times while still in high school (1928-29). In 1930 he joined the advertising department and later was advertising manager of the Texarkana Gazette for six months.

He returned to the Courier-Times to head the ad department from 1932-34 and was promoted to editor-manager in 1934.

In 1942 he took off for the Army and took an honorable discharge in 1946. He was managing the local advertising department of the Dallas Times-Herald when he was asked to help rebuild the Freeport Daily Facts-Review.

During his TPA presidency the first editorial board was established and took over publication of the Texas Press Messenger, which was being published on a contract basis.

He married Barbara O’Connell and they had two children.