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Frank W. Mayborn Award for Community Leadership

The Frank W. Mayborn Award for Community Leadership is awarded annually to a publisher or newspaper executive who contributed most significantly to society during the past year.

Deadline: March 1, 2024 – The award will be presented at the 2024 TPA Convention & Trade Show June 20-22 at the Hilton College Station Conference Center & Hotel.

CRITERIA

The community leadership of the awarded candidate should be current (not necessarily spanning the candidate's lifetime). The selection committee will decide, based on nominees, how much emphasis the committee wants to place on current activity compared to lifetime achievement. If no nominations are presented in a given year, the selection committee will choose the nominee.

The nominee should have exhibited outstanding and exemplary leadership to the community (city, state or nation), which reflected credit upon the newspaper business.

At the time of their nomination, candidates should hold a position with a Texas newspaper.

There are no restrictions as to who may submit nominees. If they choose, members of the selection committee may submit candidates.

The newspaper executive chosen by the selection committee shall be awarded a plaque and will name a Texas college or university of his or her choice to receive a scholarship award of $3,000. School officials will then select an outstanding full-time student journalist to receive the scholarship award.

HOW TO ENTER

Nominations must be submitted in writing and should include biographical information, as well as supporting documents explaining why a newspaper executive should receive the award.

No limitations are placed upon the length of the information submitted, but conciseness and clarity are encouraged. Nominations should be submitted to TPA executive director Mike Hodges, mhodges@texaspress.com, by March 1, 2024. 

Presentation qualities of the nomination submissions (such as use of artwork, photographs, etc.) will not influence positively or negatively the selection of the award recipient.

The award will be presented at the 2024 TPA Convention & Trade Show June 20-22, 2024, Hilton College Station Conference Center & Hotel.

HISTORY OF THE FRANK W. MAYBORN AWARD

Sue Mayborn, publisher of the Temple Daily Telegram and Killeen Daily Herald, established the award in 1992 with the now-defunct Texas Daily Newspaper Association to honor the commendable leadership and service demonstrated by her late husband, Frank W. Mayborn, for his community service and involvement throughout his career as a newspaper executive.

Frank W. Mayborn was first and foremost a newspaperman and a communications executive who pioneered in the radio and television industries. However, he held another pursuit on par with his profession, that of community leadership and service.

The Frank W. Mayborn Award for Community Leadership is established to honor other newspaper men and women who have a firm commitment to community service, and who are devoting the same zeal to that cause as Mayborn did during his long career. One of the areas in which Mayborn was most active was in service to education. It is fitting that the recipient of the Mayborn Award not only will be recognized publicly by his peers, but also by a scholarship in his/her honor which will be presented to an outstanding senior journalism student at a Texas college or university.

AWARD RECIPIENTS AND SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

2023 - Craig Garnett, Uvalde Leader News
$3,000 - University of Texas

2022 - Laurie Brown, The Canadian Record
$3,000- University of Texas, Austin (student: Sloane Wyatt)

2021 - H.V. O'Brien, Eastland County Today
$3,000- Texas Tech University (student: Hannah Holtz)

2020 - Mike Probst, Rockort Pilot
$3,000- Texas A&M University (student: Rebecca L. "Bec" Morris)

2019 - Roy Eaton, Wise County Messenger
$3,000- Texas Christian University, Fort Worth (student: Nicole Hawkins)

2017 - Jim Moser, president, Moser Community Media, LLC
$3,000- University of Texas, Austin (student: Brianna Stone)

2016 – Dolph Tillotson, President, Southern Newspapers, Inc.
$3,000 - University of Houston (student: Cameron Alexis Meyer) 

2015 – Bob Moore, Editor, El Paso Times
$3,000 - University of Texas, El Paso (student: Angela Saavedra) 

2014 - Bill Patterson, Publisher, Denton Record-Chronicle
$3,000 - Mayborn School of Journalism, UNT (student: Melissa Wylie)

2013 - Chris Cobler, Editor, Victoria Advocate
$3,000 - University of Texas, Austin (student: Ricardo Hernandez)

2012 - James M. Moroney III, Publisher, The Dallas Morning News
$3,000 - Mayborn School of Journalism, UNT (student: Krystin Burroughs)

2011 - Patrick Canty, Publisher, Odessa American
$3,000 - Texas A & M University, Commerce, (students, Savannah Christian and Jessica Martin)

2010 - Les Simpson, Publisher, Amarillo Globe-News
$3,000 - West Texas A & M, (student: Katelyn Garrity)

2008 - John H. Roberts, Publisher, Victoria Advocate
$3,000 - Baylor University, (student: Erika Pedroza)

2007 - Keven Ann Willey, Vice President/Editorial Page Editor, The Dallas Morning News
$3,000 - University of North Texas, (student: Andrew McLemore)

2006 - Nelson Clyde, III, President and Publisher, Tyler Morning Telegraph
$3,000 - Stephen F. Austin State University (student: Jessica Williams)

2005 - Donnis Baggett, Editor and Publisher, Bryan-College Station Eagle
$3,000 - Stephen F. Austin State University (student: Lindsey Gail Standley)

2004 - Jack Sweeney, Publisher and President, Houston Chronicle
$3,000 - University of Houston (student: Matt Dulin)

2003 - Bill Cornwell, Editor and Publisher, The Brazosport Facts
$3,000 - University of Texas at Austin (students Erin Gage and Nicolas Martinez)

2002 - Greg Shrader, Editor and Publisher, Kerrville Daily Times
$3,000 - University of Texas at Austin (student: Leah Dudowicz)

2001 - Charles R. Moser, Editor and Publisher, The Brenham Banner-Press
$1,500 - Sam Houston State University (student: Deisy Verdinez)

2000 - Susan Bischoff, Assistant Managing Editor, Houston Chronicle
$1,500 - University of North Texas (student: Sarah M. Broom)

1999 - Frank Puckett, President and Publisher, Abilene Reporter-News
$1,500 - Hardin-Simmons University (student: Melissa Robinson)

1998 - Rollie D. Hyde, Publisher, Plainview Daily Herald
$1,500 - Texas Tech University (student: Amber Irlbeck)

1997 - David C. Sharp, Publisher, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
$1,500 - Texas Tech University (student: Emily Jones)

1996 - Robert W. Decherd, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO, AH. Belo Corp.
$1,500 - Paul Quinn College (student: Tonya Chambers)

1995 - Veronica Salazar, VP of Community Relations, San Antonio Express-News
$1,500 - University of Texas at San Antonio (student: J. Renee Cox)

1994 - Garet von Netzer, Publisher, Amarillo Globe-News
$750 - Amarillo College - (student: Amy Stovall)
$750 - West Texas A&M University - (students: Brad Nickell and Lisa Moss)

1993 - Roger S. Kintzel, Publisher, Austin American-Statesman
$1,500 - University of Texas at Austin - (student: Alexandre DeMarban)

1992 - Richard L. Connor, President and Publisher, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
$1,500 - Texas Christian University (student: Angela Wright)