Jerry Tidwell made Texas proud Oct. 13.

The Hood County News publisher became president of the National Newspaper Association at the group’s 120th annual convention & trade show Oct. 11-13 in Oklahoma City.

“I am humbled and honored to be named president of the National Newspaper Association. Texans Harold Hudson and Roy Eaton were terrific NNA presidents. It will be a very successful year if we can accomplish just a part of what these two outstanding presidents did,” Tidwell said.

Tidwell was president of Texas Press Association in 1996-97 and currently serves on the board of the Texas Newspaper Foundation.

“I want to thank Texas Press members, the board of directors, officers and Mike Hodges for their support of me and NNA through the years. I will do my very best to make TPA proud,” he said.

Tidwell graduated from Andrews High School in 1963 along with fellow Texas newspaper publishers and Texas Press Association past presidents Roy McQueen and Larry Crabtree.

Tidwell majored in management and graduated from Texas Christian University in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. After graduation, he worked for four years as an industrial engineer in Fort Worth.

He began his newspaper career in 1970 as advertising manager of the Andrews County News.

He transferred to the Seminole Sentinel where he was advertising manager for three years.

In 1976 he was named publisher of the Lamb County News in Littlefield, and in 1979 became publisher of the Hood County News.

He was president of North and East Texas Press Association in 1984-85 and is a recipient of that association’s Sam Holloway Award.

He received the West Texas Press Association’s Harold Hudson Memorial Award in 2001. Hudson also was an NNA president.

The last Texan to serve as NNA president was Eaton, publisher of the Wise County Messenger, in 1996-97.

NNA was founded in 1885 and has 2,700 member newspapers.

Tidwell currently is a member of the Lake Granbury Medical Center board of trustees and Children’s Advocacy Center board of directors.

Tidwell married his high school sweetheart, Vana, in 1966. They have two children.