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Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame

Harold Hudson

Harold Hudson

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Harold Hudson

Ochiltree County Herald

Hall of Fame Class of 2008

Panhandle publisher Harold Hudson served the newspaper industry at all levels, from his start as a “printer’s devil” to his presidency of the National Newspaper Association. He not only was a trustee of the Texas Newspaper Foundation from its founding
in 1974 until his death in 1991, but he also served as its vice president.

A native of Gorman, Hudson started in the newspaper business at age 13 as a trainee, or apprentice, at the Ochiltree County Herald in Perryton. He served in the U.S. Army in World War II, enlisting as soon as he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1942. He was honorably discharged in 1946.

Hudson returned to Perryton and was named news editor of the Herald in 1946. In 1959, after purchasing controlling interest in the newspaper, he became the third publisher in the newspaper’s history.

He already, however, was being recognized as a leader in the newspaper industry. He served as president of the Panhandle Press Association in 1957-58, then as president of the West Texas Press Association, and in 1967-68 was president of the statewide Texas Press Association.

He continued to provide leadership at the state and national level and in 1977-78 served as president of the National Newspaper Association.

In 1983, Hudson received the coveted Amos Award from the National Newspaper Association, an honor recognizing a community newspaper publisher’s professional achievement, community leadership and advancement of the journalism profession. Hudson was the first Texan to receive this honor, given to only one person each year.

Hudson served on the Mass Communications Advisory Committee of Texas Tech University. The West Texas Press Association named its Harold Hudson Memorial Award for outstanding newspaper professionals in his honor.

Hudson and his wife Jane had three children, including a son, Jim Hudson, who became publisher of the Herald upon his father’s death. Jim Hudson served as president of the Texas Press Association in 1993-94.

Harold Hudson died July 4, 1991, at age 71. He was inducted into the Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2008 as one of four members
of the Hall’s second class of honorees.