Ed Sterling

Texas Press Association/Texas Press Messenger - Retired
Canyon News, Tulia Herald, Amarillo Globe News, Alpine Avalanche

Hall of Fame Class of 2022

Ed Sterling served as TPA’s member services director. In that role, he provided a wealth of information to members of the Texas Press Association. At some point during his 28 years at TPA, most publishers and editors across the state contacted him with questions and to seek his opinion on publishing matters.

Sterling painstakingly researched open government handbooks, pored over attorney general opinions and kept a vigil for regulatory agencies’ rulings that impacted the newspaper industry. He became the go-to source for answers on everything from advertising raffles and lotteries to open records and meetings. He wasn’t an attorney, but was happy to cite Texas statutes that might be relevant and point members to legal professionals when needed.

Sterling served as TPA’s member services director. He also handled all TPA’s publications, including the monthly Texas Press Messenger, eBulletin and web news. He coordinated the Texas Better Newspaper Contest for many years. He planned and coordinated the annual conventions as well.

He also worked hard on behalf of Texas newspapers at the Capitol. As a member of Texas Media, predecessor to the TPA Legislative Advisory Committee, he was instrumental in weekly bill-crunching sessions at the Texas Association of Broadcasters offices, at the TDNA offices or at TPA headquarters in Austin. He printed bills for the Legislative Advisory Committee to study, made calls, filed forms at legislative hearings stating TPA’s positions on bills, and sometimes testified.

A native of Austin, Sterling attended the University of North Texas in Denton in the 1970s before going into the Coast Guard. Following his service, he worked for several newspapers in Texas – as publisher of the Tulia Herald, copy editor at the Amarillo Globe-News, and as publisher of the Alpine Avalanche.

Sterling received numerous awards during his tenure at TPA, including the Red Gibson Friend of South Texas Press Association in 2008.

After his retirement, Sterling and his wife Gayle, whom he met in college in Denton, relocated to Fort Worth to be closer to family, including children and grandchildren.