In Memoriam June 2019 to May 2020

In accordance with membership wishes, this report includes only those who were either longtime newspaper employees still engaged in the trade at the time of death, or those who had, though retired, made newspaper work their principal occupation.

Marguerite Babb, Dennie Hall, Shelby Alice Miller, Jenks Journal University of Central Oklahoma Frederick Press Thomas Blakey, Phyllis Louise Hammer, Patsy Willene Muchmore, The Norman Transcript Fairview Republican The Ponca City News Sally Bright, Bob Haring, Nancy Janice ‘Jan’ O’Leary, Tulsa World Tulsa World The Hooker Advance Frances Jane Bryant, Ron Henderson, Jerry Ray Pogue, The Norman Transcript The (Shawnee) County Democrat Tulsa Tribune Wayne L. Caldwell, Fred B. Hilton Jr., Windsor Ridenour, Hugo Daily News Ponca City News Tulsa Tribune John R. Clabes, Charles William Hooper, Daniel H. Rodgers, Oklahoma Journal The Norman Transcript Sequoyah County Times Helen Rose Cline, Verldine ‘Geri’ McClure Huston, Paula Lemarr McBride Savage, Oklahoma Publishing Company Shawnee News-Star The Anadarko Daily News Carol Louise Cole-Frowe, Kenneth D. Kiser Jr., Daniel Lee Scroggins, Freelance Journalist Medford Patriot-Star Atoka County Times Lyle Howell Collins, Guy T. Ledbetter, Frederick David Seaton, Shawnee News-Star The Ardmoreite Winfield Daily Courier (Kansas) Chelsea C. Cook, Grace Anne Leonhart, Paul D. Shell, Henryetta Free-Lance The Lawton Constitution The Daily Oklahoman Robert Crout, James ‘Jim’ Watie Mayo, Oweida Smiley, Mustang News Sequoyah County Times The Lawton Constitution Marilyn Louise Duck, Joe W. McBride Jr., Mary Townsley, Tulsa Tribune The Anadarko Daily News Tulsa World Sharon Ann Dean, Jake Norman McDonald, Mercedes Elizabeth (Ball) Wheeler, Granite Enterprise Weatherford Daily News The Daily Oklahoman George Edgar Gurley, Robert Standish ‘Bob’ Meacham Jr., Kenneth Ronald Wood, The Ada Evening News The Daily Oklahoman The Maysville News & Stratford Star Irvin Lee Miller, Taloga Times-Advocate

OKLAHOMA NEWSPAPER FOUNDATION IN MEMORIUM JUNE 2020 – PAGE 1 OF 4 MARGUERITE BABB, a former editor for nal ceased publication in 1981. Clabes then 1977. After the real estate bust in the 1980s, the Jenks Journal, died April 28, 2020. She held several federal government jobs. He Crout purchased The Mustang News and de- was 90. Babb was born in Tulsa and gradu- was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism veloped his “Teed Off” column. He was an ated from Webster High School in 1947. She Hall of Fame in 1996. He received many hon- associate member of the Oklahoma Press was editor of the Jenks Journal from 1967- ors for his pioneering efforts in typography, Association. 1972. makeup design and offset production. MARILYN LOUISE DUCK, who worked THOMAS BLAKEY, a former reporter at HELEN ROSE CLINE, an Oklahoma jour- at the Oklahoma City Times and Tulsa Tri- The Norman Transcript, died Feb. 15, 2020. nalist, died Oct. 9, 2019. She was 87. Cline bune, died Sept. 15, 2019. She was 63. Duck He was 62. Blakey, who was born in Oklaho- was born Feb. 14, 1932, near Lacy. She re- was born Oct. 31, 1955, and grew up in Tulsa. ma City, moved with his family to Norman ceived a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma After graduating from the University of Okla- in the mid-1960s. He later studied at OKC State University in 1953 and a master’s de- homa, she began her career in the Norman Community College and Phillips University gree from the University of Oklahoma in bureau of the now-defunct Oklahoma City in Enid. For 15 years he was a reporter for 1963. She received an OU Press fellowship Times, and later became an assistant editor. The Norman Transcript, where he received and worked as an editor for the Oklahoma After returning to Tulsa, she went to work multiple awards. Publishing Company in Oklahoma City, the for the Tulsa Tribune, and served in the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Wil- Tribune’s Washington D.C. bureau. After SALLY BRIGHT, the former Tulsa World liamsburg, Va., and the American Library spending some time in California working at and syndicated columnist behind the Foundation in Chicago. Cline retired in 1993. the Santa Rosa Press Democrat as an edito- long-running “Our Lively Language” feature, rial writer, she once again returned to Tulsa died Aug. 3, 2019. She was 84. Bright wrote CAROL LOUISE COLE-FROWE, an Okla- and worked as writer and editor of the East- her popular column for nearly 30 years. The homa journalist, died Feb. 25, 2020. She was ern Oklahoma Catholic Magazine. feature debuted in 1978. During her years of 66. Carol was born July 1, 1953, in Norman, syndication, which began in 1990, Bright ap- Okla. She graduated from the University of SHARON ANN DEAN, an Oklahoma jour- peared in more than 20 publications across Central Oklahoma in 1994. She won numer- nalist, died March 16, 2020. She was 70. the country. Her column fielded questions ous awards for her insightful investigative Dean was born Aug. 3, 1949, in Mangum. from readers on word meanings, grammar reporting at both Oklahoma newspapers She attended Southwestern Oklahoma State and syntax. Bright was also a distinguished and international news organizations, includ- University in Weatherford and Western Okla- educator. ing The Norman Transcript, the Oklahoma homa State College in Altus. Dean began her Gazette, the Associated Press and the New newspaper career at the Mangum Star and FRANCES JANE BRYANT, a pioneering York Times. She was a long-time member of Granite Enterprise. She was editor of the En- journalist who served as one of Oklahoma’s the Oklahoma Society of Professional Jour- terprise before starting Dean’s Printing and first female daily newspaper editors, died nalists. The Enterpriser in Mangum in 1980. Nov. 10, 2019, in Norman. She was 85. Bry- ant was born Dec. 10, 1933, in Cushing and LYLE HOWELL COLLINS, a former Lino- GEORGE EDGAR GURLEY, editor and worked during the summer for the Cushing type operator at the Shawnee News-Star, co-owner of The Ada Evening News for al- Daily Citizen. She graduated from the Uni- died Oct. 13, 2019. He was 80. Collins was most 30 years, died Jan. 18, 2020. He was 94. versity of Missouri-Columbia and began her born May 6, 1939, in Konawa. He served in Gurley was born Jan. 18, 1925, in Poplar Bluff, career at The Norman Transcript in Decem- the Oklahoma Air National Guard. Collins Mo. He moved to Ardmore as a child, gradu- ber 1955. She worked as a reporter, wire ed- started his career with the Shawnee News- ating from Ardmore High School in 1942. He itor, city editor and managing editor before Star as a Linotype operator. He later took a attended the University of Oklahoma, then retiring in December 1995. She was inducted job at General Motors but continued to de- joined the U.S. Air Force. After World War II, into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame liver the News-Star. In 2010, he was inducted Gurley graduated from OU with a degree in in 1994 and was active in local civic groups. into the Oklahoma Press Association’s Half journalism. In 1951, he married Mary Eliza- Century Club. beth Little, whose father W.D. Little Sr. was WAYNE L. CALDWELL, a former em- owner of The Ada Evening News. Gurley be- ployee at the Hugo Daily News, died CHELSEA C. COOK, a former editor at the came editor of The Evening News in 1952. Dec. 12, 2019. He was 84. Caldwell was Henryetta Free-Lance, died Jan. 20, 2020. born March 8, 1935, in Hugo. He worked He was 84. Cook was born Dec. 21, 1936, in DENNIE HALL, a respected journalist, jour- at the Hugo Daily News while in school Marysville, Calif. He studied music at the nalism professor and historian, died April and after graduating was promoted to University of Oklahoma before graduating 17, 2020. He was 85. Hall was co-founder of Linotype operator, and then foreman. He re- from Central State College, now University the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame and mained at the Hugo Daily News until 1963 of Central Oklahoma, with a master’s degree served as its director. He was the longtime and then moved to Kansas. He later returned in music education. He served as the band adviser to the University of Central Oklaho- to Hugo and worked at Central Texas Col- director at Wewoka High School from 1966 ma’s student publication, The Vista, and was lege as an offset printing instructor for the to 1979. During his “retirement,” Cook did known for supporting its editors against at- Graphics Art program. missionary work and became editor of the tacks from the administration. Hall was The Henryetta Free-Lance, where he wrote a col- Oklahoman’s book editor, known for his re- JOHN R. CLABES, a longtime Oklahoma umn called “And Furthermore.” views and helping future authors. journalist, died March 27, 2020. He was 94. Clabes was born March 21, 1926, in Poteau. ROBERT CROUT, who was once owner and PHYLLIS LOUISE HAMMER, who once He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1944, publisher of the Mustang News, died July owned and published the Fairview Republi- and graduated from the University of Okla- 17, 2019. He was 69. Crout was born Dec. can and Cherokee Messenger & Republican homa in 1950 with a bachelor’s degree in 24, 1949, in Wichita Falls, Texas. He attend- with her husband Larry, died Oct. 18, 2019. journalism. Clabes worked for newspapers ed the University of Oklahoma receiving a She was 81. Phyllis was born Dec. 23, 1937. in Hobart and Lawton before going to work degree in finance and business law in 1972. She married Larry Dale Hammer in 1955. at the Oklahoma Journal in 1964. The Jour- He founded Crout Development Company in The Hammers worked at the Fairview Re-

OKLAHOMA NEWSPAPER FOUNDATION IN MEMORIUM JUNE 2020 – PAGE 2 OF 4 publican before purchasing the newspaper in VERLDINE ‘GERI’ McCLURE HUSTON, to the OPA Half Century Club in 2004. He 1958. In 1966, they purchased the Cherokee who worked in sales at the Shawnee News- served on the Oklahoma Press Association Messenger & Republican. They also owned Star, died Feb. 5, 2020. She was 75. Huston board of directors from 1978 to 1987 and was and operated the Woodward County Journal was born May 31, 1944, in Shawnee. She president of the OPA in 1987. He also served and Jet Visitor. In the 1970s, they partnered attended Oscar Rose Junior College and as president of the Oklahoma Newspaper with K.V. Williams to form Hammer-Wil- Oklahoma City Community College. She Foundation. liams Company, a corporation that operated then moved to San Pablo, Calif., where she convenience stores across the state. worked for the Richmond Independent JOE W. McBRIDE JR., publisher emeritus newspaper before moving back to Oklaho- of The Anadarko Daily News, died Feb. 25, BOB HARING, former executive editor of ma. Huston also worked for the Oklahoma 2020. He was 90. McBride was born Nov. 12, the Tulsa World, died Aug. 24, 2019. He was Journal and for two radio stations in Shaw- 1929, in Oklahoma City. He moved with his 86. A distinguished, pioneering journalist, nee. She then went to work for the Shawnee family to Anadarko in 1937 when his father Haring served as the World’s executive ed- News-Star in the sales department, retiring purchased The Anadarko Daily News. Mc- itor from 1981-95. A native of Missouri and a 10 years later. Bride Jr. graduated from Oklahoma Military graduate of the University of Missouri, Har- Academy and then attended the University of ing started his journalism career in 1954 as KENNETH D. KISER, JR., publisher of the Oklahoma, graduating in 1951 with a degree city editor of The Southern Illinoisan in Car- Medford Patriot-Star, died May 8, 2019. He in journalism. He was called to active duty bondale, Illinois. He served two years in the was 54. Kiser was born Aug. 1, 1964, in Harp- in August 1951. After being released in 1953, U.S. Army during the Korean War. In 1959, er, Kansas. He started working at the Harper he remained active in the Army Reserve. In Haring began a 16-year career as a journal- Advocate in 1978. After graduating from high August 1957, he was named general manag- ist and executive with The Associated Press. school, he went to work full-time at the news- er of The Anadarko Daily News. Following He also spent several years in Tulsa as the paper and took on the role of sports editor the death of his father in 1972, he was named wire service’s local correspondent. As New and photographer. Kiser acquired the Wakita publisher. McBride served as president of Jersey bureau chief, he conceived and im- Herald in 1991. He later bought the Medford the Oklahoma Press Association in 1987, plemented Task Force ’70, which was nom- and Pond Creek newspapers. In 2016, Ken was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism inated for a Pulitzer Prize. In 1971, he was merged the papers of Grant County into a Hall of Fame in 1989, and received the OPA named director of financial services for The single publication. Milt Phillips Award in 1994. Associated Press. Haring returned to local media in 1975 as the Tulsa World’s Sunday GUY T. LEDBETTER, a former sports editor JAKE NORMAN McDONALD, who editor and, starting in 1981, executive editor. at The Ardmoreite, died Oct. 15, 2019. He worked as a journalist in Weatherford, Okla., He would serve in the newsroom’s top posi- was 79. Ledbetter was born April 28, 1940, died April 1, 2020, in Norman. He was 28. tion until 1995, before his full retirement in in Ardmore. He graduated from Ardmore Born Aug. 20, 1991, McDonald graduated 1997. Haring was inducted into the Oklaho- High School in 1958, then attended Cameron from Norman North High School in 2010. He ma Journalism Hall of Fame in 2000. University in Lawton and Southeastern Uni- attended classes at the University of Central versity in Durant. In addition to serving as Oklahoma and the University of Oklahoma. RON HENDERSON, longtime publisher sports editor at The Ardmoreite, Ledbetter For a short time he worked as a reporter for of The County Democrat in Shawnee, died was a disc jockey at KVSO. the Weatherford Daily News. March 6, 2020. He was 77. Henderson was born Dec. 2, 1942, in Shawnee. He graduated GRACE ANNE LEONHART, a reporter for ROBERT STANDISH ‘BOB’ MEACHAM, from Shawnee High School in 1960 and lat- The Lawton Constitution, died Feb. 5, 2020. JR., who worked for The Daily Oklahoman er attended Okmulgee Tech and Oklahoma She was 63. Leonhart was a graduate of Law- for many years, died July 29, 2019. He was Baptist University. He was owner of Demco ton High School and Hardin-Simmons Uni- 73. Meacham was born Dec. 10, 1945, in Printing in Shawnee, a family business that versity in Abilene, Texas. She was a talented Columbus, Ohio. A veteran of the Army Na- he joined in 1961. journalist, writing for newspapers in Texas, tional Guard, Meacham attended Oklahoma Arkansas and Oklahoma, receiving journal- State University. He retired from The Daily FRED B. HILTON JR., a former sports ed- istic excellence awards in both Arkansas and Oklahoman after a 38-year career in adver- itor at the Ponca City News, died March 3, Oklahoma. Over the years, several of her tising sales. 2020. He was 82. Hilton was born May 13, articles were featured by AP network news. 1937, in Pine Bluff, Ark. He received a de- IRVIN LEE MILLER, publisher of the Ta- gree in journalism from Arkansas State JAMES ‘JIM’ WATIE MAYO, retired pub- loga Times-Advocate, died June 20, 2019. College in Jonesboro, Ark. In 1962, Hilton lisher for the Sequoyah County Times and a He was 69. Miller was born May 23, 1950, was named sports editor for the Ponca City past president of the Oklahoma Press Asso- in Taloga. He received a bachelor’s degree News. He retired in 2011. In 2002, Hilton was ciation, died Oct. 3, 2019, at the age of 77. He in music education at Southwestern Okla- inducted into the Oklahoma Press Associa- was born July 17, 1942. Mayo graduated from homa State University. He served as band tion’s Quarter Century Club. the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor’s director at Guymon Junior High and High degree in 1964. He went to work at the Se- School from 1972 to 1981. After retiring from CHARLES WILLIAM HOOPER, who quoyah County Times as managing editor in ONEOK in 2012, Miller and his wife Cindy worked as a Linotype operator, died Nov. 22, 1967, and later became associate publisher purchased the Taloga Times-Advocate and 2019. He was 89. Hooper was born Dec. 26, and general manager. Mayo was publisher of operated it for seven years. 1929. He grew up in southeast Oklahoma the newspaper from 1986 to 2016, before re- and later joined the U.S. Army. After an hon- tiring to become president of Cookson Hills SHELBY ALICE MILLER, former owner of orable discharge in 1947, he moved to Nor- Publishers, Inc., the family company that the Frederick Press, died July 25, 2019. She man and attended the University of Oklaho- owns the Times. Mayo was named to the was 81. Miller was born Aug. 2, 1937, in Bri- ma School of Journalism. While in school, he Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame in 1993, artown, Okla., and attended schools in Tip- was a Linotype operator for both The Okla- was the recipient of the OPA H. Milt Phillips ton. She and her husband, Joe Miller, owned homa Daily and The Norman Transcript. Award in 1999, recipient of the ONF Beachy and operated the Frederick Press. Musselman Award in 2002, and was named

OKLAHOMA NEWSPAPER FOUNDATION IN MEMORIUM JUNE 2020 – PAGE 3 OF 4 PATSY WILLENE MUCHMORE, an Okla- DANIEL H. RODGERS, former advertising Shell was born in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., homa journalist, died Nov. 7, 2019, in Clear- manager for the Sequoyah County Times, on Sept. 6, 1955. He attended South Oklaho- water Fla. She was 81. Muchmore was born died Oct. 5, 2019. He was 76. Rodgers was ma City Junior College where he received an June 28, 1937. Her career began at The born Oct. 3, 1943, in Wasco, Calif. In addition associate degree in journalism and broad- Holdenville Daily News in 1959. She worked to serving as ad manager at the Sequoyah casting. After college, Shell went to work for at several Oklahoma newspapers including County Times, he sold advertising for the The Daily Oklahoman as a reporter. He re- The Wewoka Times, Kingfisher Times, Enid Anadarko Daily News and managed the tired as a copy editor after 30-plus years. He Morning News and finally The Ponca City Sand Springs Leader. was a member of the Oklahoma City Grid- News. She left her position at The Ponca City iron Club. News in 1974. In 1977, she married Gareth PAULA LEMARR McBRIDE SAVAGE, as- Bruce Muchmore, co-publisher and editor of sistant editor of The Anadarko Daily News, OWEIDA SMILEY, a teletypesetter for The The Ponca City News. died Oct. 12, 2019. She was 61. Paula was Lawton Constitution, died Sept. 25, 2019, in born March 12, 1958. She attended the Uni- Lawton. She was 90. Smiley was born Sept. NANCY JANICE ‘JAN’ O’LEARY, a for- versity of Oklahoma, receiving a degree in 20, 1929, in Grady County. She worked for mer employee and co-editor of The Hooker journalism in 1988. She later received a mi- The Lawton Constitution from 1961 to 1994 Advance, died April 23, 2020. She was 78. nor in religious studies from OU. She be- as a switchboard operator, manager of the O’Leary was born Nov. 26, 1941, in Mitchell, gan working at her family’s newspaper, The classified ad department and was a teletype- Ark. She moved with her family to Hooker in Anadarko Daily News, in 1974 and was em- setter when hot type was still in use. She 1975 and went to work for The Hooker Ad- ployed there as assistant editor at the time retired when computers were being phased vance. The family moved to Houston in 1988. of her death. into the production side of the newspaper.

JERRY RAY POGUE, former Tulsa World DANIEL LEE SCROGGINS, a former editor MARY TOWNSLEY, a longtime chief and Tulsa Tribune journalist and volunteer of the Atoka County Times, died Oct. 9, 2019. switchboard operator at the Tulsa World, prison minister, died Dec. 11, 2019. He was He was 72. Scroggins was born Dec. 29, died Oct. 10, 2019. She was 84. For more than 79. Pogue was born Jan. 9, 1940, in Drum- 1946, in Atoka. He served in the U.S. Army 40 years, Townsley worked the switchboards right. After graduating from the University during the Vietnam era and later was in the at the former Newspaper Printing Corp., of Tulsa, he began his career with the Tulsa Army National Guard. He was a member of handling calls for both the Tulsa World and World as a sports writer. He left that role to the Oklahoma Bar Association, served as ed- Tulsa Tribune. She continued with the World become sports information director at the itor of the Indian Citizen, editor of the Atoka after the Tribune closed in 1991. She retired University of Tulsa. He returned to the Tul- County Times, as city attorney of Atoka and when she was in her 70s. sa Tribune in 1977 and was there, except for Stringtown, and as a private attorney, assis- a couple of years, until the newspaper closed tant district attorney and associate district MERCEDES ELIZABETH (BALL) in 1992. Pogue was also a lay minister and judge. WHEELER, who once worked at The Dai- church deacon with a passion for prison min- ly Oklahoman, died Feb. 6, 2020. She was istry. FREDERICK DAVID SEATON, longtime 95. Born in Buaxite, Ark., Wheeler grew publisher of the Winfield Daily Courier in up in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. She WINDSOR RIDENOUR, the Tulsa Tri- Kansas, died April 18, 2020. He was 80. Sea- was food editor for The Daily Oklahoman bune’s last executive editor and past Okla- ton was born June 16, 1939, in Manhattan, during the 1960s, and was featured on cook- homa Associated Press Media Editors presi- Kan. He graduated from Harvard University ing segments on local TV. Wheeler created dent, died Aug. 29, 2019, at age 80. Ridenour and later earned a master’s degree from the “Dial-A-Recipe” before the internet, wrote a was born Sept. 21, 1938, in Skiatook. After Columbia University School of International cookbook, novels and magazine articles. She earning his journalism degree from Okla- and Public Affairs. Seaton worked for Win- also edited the Baptist Messenger newslet- homa State University in 1964, he worked at field Publishing Company, part of the Seaton ter and worked as a legal assistant for a crim- The San Diego Union as a reporter before Newspaper Group, which has seen four gen- inal defense lawyer. starting his 28-year career at the Tribune erations of family members operate newspa- as a reporter in 1965. He started there as a pers in Kansas and other states. He served KENNETH RONALD WOOD, former own- police reporter, served as Oklahoma City as editor and publisher of the Winfield Daily er and publisher of The Maysville News and bureau chief, was promoted to city editor Courier from 1981 to 2009. During that time, Stratford Star, died Oct. 9, 2019. He was 77. in 1973, assistant managing editor in 1982, the company purchased the Newkirk Herald Wood was born July 21, 1942, in Pauls Valley. managing editor a year later, and executive Journal in Oklahoma and the Arkansas City He graduated from Pauls Valley High School editor in 1989. Ridenour held that position Traveler. Seaton remained an active owner in 1960. Wood worked in the newspaper busi- until the newspaper ceased publication in and was chairman of the board for Winfield ness for 50 years, starting as a paperboy at October 1992. In August 1992, six weeks Publishing at the time of his death. Seaton the Pauls Valley Democrat. He also was ed- before the Tribune’s scheduled closure, the served as president of the Kansas Press As- itor of the Wynnewood Gazette as well as Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame awarded sociation in 1991 and was inducted into the owning and publishing The Maysville News Ridenour a special honor for his 27 years of KPA Hall of Fame in 2010. and Stratford Star. He retired from the news- outstanding service in journalism. paper business in 2008. Wood was inducted PAUL D. SHELL, a longtime Oklahoma into the Oklahoma Press Association’s Half journalist, died Aug. 27, 2019. He was 63. Century Club in 2008.

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