2006-07 Marshall Day Gatesville Messenger

Marshall Day, editor and publisher of The Gatesville Messenger, was elected president of Texas Press Association during the 127th Summer Convention June 22-24, 2006, at The Woodlands.

Joining Day on the slate of officers were Judy Johnson of The Hometown Press in Winnie as the chairman of the board, Phil Major of the Clay County Leader as first vice president, Roy Robinson of The Graham Leader as second vice president; and Terry Collier of the Fredericksburg Standard Radio Post as treasurer.

A native of Spur, Day is the fourth graduate of Andrews High School to serve as president of TPA and the sixth graduate of that high school who is an active publisher in Texas. Day joins Roy McQueen of Snyder, Larry Crabtree of Vernon and Jerry Tidwell of Granbury as AHS exes who have served TPA in its top spot.

Day began his newspaper career as the sports editor of The Hereford Brand. He later became news editor of the award-winning semiweekly and got his feet wet in advertising as he began to learn the ropes of the different departments.

He became news editor of The Seguin Enterprise for a short time before heading back west to Seminole where he was hired as a writer. In 1976 he became publisher of the Seminole Sentinel and served in that capacity for 12 years before leaving the newspaper business for a short period. He returned to newspapering as a special promotions manager at The Hood County Newsand later became that newspaper’s sports editor before accepting the position as publisher at The Edna Herald and Ganado Tribune.

During his time in Edna, he combined the two newspapers into The Jackson County Herald-Tribune. After five years there, he became publisher of The Gatesville Messenger, where he has been for the past 12 years.

Day has been a member of the TPA board of directors for nine years, including four as an appointed member. He has served on numerous committees with TPA, including chairman of the first Grass Roots Legislative Committee formed by then-president Willis Webb. He also has served on the joint TPA/Texas Daily Newspaper Association Legislative Advisory Committee.

He is a member of four of the state’s five regional press associations — South Texas, Texas Gulf Coast, West Texas and North & East Texas. He has served in all the committee positions with the West Texas Press Association and all the officer positions, including president in 2001-02.

He has served six years on the board of directors of the North & East Texas Press Association and this year was named second vice president of that group.

He also is currently finishing up his term on the board of the South Texas Press Association.

Day has been the recipient of the two highest honors awarded by NETPA — the Tom Mooney Award and the Sam Holloway Award.

Throughout his newspaper career he has been active in community activities, serving on chamber boards in Seminole and Gatesville; on civic club boards in Hereford and Edna; and as a member of the Gatesville Planning & Zoning Board.

Day and his wife, Debbie, who is the office manager and bookkeeper at The Messenger, are the parents of three sons — Marshall Day of McKinney with his family, wife Heather and children Kyra, Holton and Ashlyn; Perry Garrett and his wife, Tanna, of Gatesville; and Chris Garrett, also of Gatesville.