Phil Major retires with sale of Wood County Monitor

MINEOLA – TPA Past President Phil Major announced his retirement from the Texas newspaper industry with the sale of the Wood County Monitor in early May.

Major addressed the sale and his retirement in a column published May 7 in the Monitor.

“We leave the paper in the more-than-capable hands of new owner-publisher James Taylor and manager Carley Tucker,” Major wrote.

“James has been shepherding community papers for more than 20 years and has been gearing up for this day for the last several months, helping out with ad sales, photography and more. If you’ve had the chance to meet him, you know that he is friendly, engaging and knowledgeable.

“Carley is well-known and well-respected around these parts and has plenty of exposure to newspapering in Wood County, as the daughter of the former editor (Larry) and has been a frequent contributor in recent years. She’s also well-versed in several key areas that will be part of her news coverage beat,” Major noted

“I have no doubt they will be building on what we did and making it much better – especially since they have made a few less laps around the orb, which translates into more energy,” he added.

Recalling that he started his first job in 1978 after graduation from the University of Texas, Major retires after 48 years in the Texas newspaper industry. Or, 50 years if counting his service on his high school newspaper in his senior year, throwing his hometown newspaper six days a week as a junior and “the several editions as co-publisher of the Coin and Stamp News in the fifth grade.”

“By my loose arithmetic, that’s something like 3,716 editions of newspapers based in 14 Texas communities,” he wrote.

Major served the North and East Texas Press Association in many capacities, including as president. In 2001, he was honored with the NETPA Sam Holloway Award and in 2003 with the Tom Mooney Friend of the Newspaper Award.

He has served on the board of directors of the West Texas Press Association and on the board of the Texas Newspaper Foundation.

He served both as an appointed director and elected director of TPA, chaired TPA’s newspaper contest committee and served on news clinic and convention committees.

In 2004, he assisted the National Newspaper Association with the development of new requirements for the Boy Scout journalism merit badge.

Major was elected president of Texas Press Association June 23, 2007, at the 128th Summer Convention in San Antonio.