Tennessee Press Association Board of Directors
June 2022-July 2023
President:
Chris Vass, Chattanooga Times Free Press
First Vice President:
Daniel Williams, The Paris Post-Intelligencer
Second Vice President:
Darrell Richardson, The Daily Times, Maryville
Treasurer:
Eric Barnes, The Daily News, Memphis
Secretary:
Dave Gould, Main Street Media of Tennessee, Gallatin
Immediate Past President:
Daniel Richardson, Magic Valley Publishing, Huntingdon
Directors, District One:
• Calvin Anderson, The New Tri-State Defender, Memphis
• Victor Parkins, The Mirror-Exchange, Milan
• Vacancy created by resignation of Scott Critchlow 10/5/22
Directors, District Two:
• David Plazas, The Tennessean, Nashville
• Vacancy created by election of Dave Gould as secretary 2/17/23
• Keith Ponder, The Tullahoma News
Directors, District Three:
• Sandy Dodson, The Bledsonian-Banner, Pikeville
• Dale Gentry, The Standard Banner, Jefferson City
• Paul Mauney, The Greeneville Sun
last updated 4/19/22
Past Presidents of the Tennessee Press Association
1869-2021
Tennessee Press Association has had many presidents since its founding in the 1800s. Several people served more than one term and there are several parent-offspring connections. The list up to recent years came from A History of Tennessee Newspapers (1986).
1869-70 Thomas Boyers (organizing president), Gallatin Examiner
1870-71 George E. Purvis (first president), Nashville Republican Banner
1871-72 Ira P. Jones, Nashville Union and American
1872-73 Thomas B. Kirby, Chattanooga Times
1873-74 James O’Reilly Griffith, Nashville Union and American
1874-75 Thomas W. Neal, Neal’s State Gazette, Dyersburg
1875-76 Joseph Barbiere, Memphis Eclectic
1876-77 Robert M. Dickenson, Paris Intelligencer
1877-78 John E. Helms, Morristown Gazette
1878-79 Thomas Boyers, Gallatin Examiner
1879-80 Archie Thomas, Springfield Record
1880-81 Gideon E. Baskette, Murfreesboro News
1881-82 Harry F. Griscom, Chattanooga Commercial
1882-83 William J. Slatter, Winchester Home Journal
1883-84 Benjamin A. Enloe, Jackson Tribune and Sun
1884-85 Alexander Summers, Knoxville Tribune
1885-86 Albert E. Baird, Southern Lumberman, Lebanon
1886-87 Robert L.C. White, Lebanon Herald
1887-88 J. Harvey Mathes, Memphis Evening Public Ledger
1888-89 R.M. Beams, McMinnville Southern Standard
1889-90 Charles H. Slack, Bristol Daily Courier
1890-91 Gustavus C. Matthews, Memphis Appeal-Avalanche
1891-92 William C. Tatom, Knoxville Tribune
1892-93 Andrew J. Grigsby, Nashville Evening Herald
1893-94 Louis J. Brooks, Jackson Whig
1894-95 Herman A. Hasslock, Nashville Union and American
1895-96 J.E. MacGowan, Chattanooga Times
1896-97 W.H. Griffin, Union City Democrat
1897-98 Rufus M. Fields, Lebanon Tribune
1898-99 John W.N. Burkett, Jackson Dispatch
1899-00 Edward E. Adams, Lebanon Democrat
1900-01 Samuel B. LaRue, Greeneville Sun
1901-02 Louis G. Fritz
1902-03 James J. Ambrose, Fancier’s Journal, Nashville
1903-04 Reece V. Hicks, Madisonville Democrat
1904-05 Reece V. Hicks, Madisonville Democrat
1905-06 R.H. Green, Covington Record
1906-07 W.B. Romine, Pulaski Citizen
1907-08 T.J. Campbell, Dayton Herald
1908-09 John R. Rison, Paris Post-Intelligencer
1909-10 R. D. Lander, Columbia Herald
1910-11 George F. Milton, Knoxville Sentinel
1911-12 John C. Rogers, Dyersburg State Gazette
1912-13 James I. Finney, Columbia Daily Herald
1913-14 Alfred N. Shearman, Athens Post
1914-15 T.L.. Turner, Martin Mail
1915-16 unknown
1916-17 Edward Albright, Sumner County News, Gallatin (NEA)
1917-18 Jim Nance McCord, Marshall Gazette, Lewisburg
1918-26 (This period apparently was one of limited activity for TPA. No record of TPA presidents and no reports of meetings of the organization have been found for this period.)
1927-28 Virgil L. Adams, Lenoir City News
1928-29 Hugh M. Doak, Manchester Times
1929-30 Hugh M. Doak, Manchester Times
1930-31 Ashley B. Sowell, Maury Democrat, Columbia
1931-32 Hugh M. Doak, Manchester Times
1932-33 Frank Wankan, Post-Athenian, Athens
1933-34 John W. Haynie, Milan Exchange
1934-35 Dixon L. Merritt, Lebanon Democrat
1935-36 Robert B. Sulte, Newport Plain Talk
1936-37 Alison Simonton Sr., Covington Leader
1937-38 Rufus Boddie, Sumner County News, Gallatin
1938-39 Roy Woodfin, South Pittsburg Hustler
1939-40 Paul Sims, States-Graphic, Brownsville
1940-41 Fred L. Tardy, Jackson County Sentinel, Gainesboro
1941-42 Horace V. Wells Jr., Clinton Courier-News
1942-43 Roy C. Coleson, Fayette Falcon, Somerville
1943-44 Sam Murphey, Springfield Herald
1944-45 Guy Easterly, LaFollette Press
1945-46 Will C. Simonton Sr., Covington Leader
1946-47 Minor E. Bragg, Murfreesboro Courier
1947-48 Jim W. West, Kingsport Times-News
1948-49 Beverly Young, Fayetteville News
1949-50 Leslie Houston, The Appeal, Adamsville
1950-51 Franklin Glass Sr., Dayton Herald
1951-52 John W. Finney, Daily Herald, Columbia
1952-53 James W.R. White, Weakley County Press, Martin
1953-54 Loye W. Miller, Knoxville News-Sentinel
1954-55 James W. Crawford Sr., Lawrenceburg Democrat-Union
1955-56 Charles S. Rooks, Humboldt Courier-Chronicle
1956-57 Carl A. Jones, Johnson City Press-Chronicle
1957-58 John T. Bragg, Rutherford Courier, Smyrna
1958-59 A. Lacy Price, Jackson Sun
1959-60 Ray R. Baird, Rockwood Times
1960-61 James E. Charlet, Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle
1961-62 William H. McConnell, Carroll County Democrat, Huntingdon
1962-63 John M. Jones Sr., Greeneville Sun
1963-64 J. Bill Frame, Lebanon Democrat
1964-65 Eugene D. Rutland, Commercial Appeal, Memphis
1965-66 Walter T. Pulliam, Harriman Record
1966-67 Jack McFarland, Daily News Journal, Murfreesboro
1967-68 Bill Simonton, Covington Leader
1968-69 Don J. McKay, Oak Ridger, Oak Ridge
1969-70 Don Brookhart, Crossville Chronicle
1970-71 W. Bryant Williams, Paris Post-Intelligencer
1971-72 Vernon McKinney, Lenoir City News
1972-73 Franklin Yates, Shelbyville Times-Gazette
1973-74 W.T. Franklin Jr., Lexington Progress
1974-75 Tutt S. Bradford, Maryville-Alcoa Daily Times
1975-76 Morris L. Simon, Tullahoma News
1976-77 Edgar W. Ray, Memphis Press-Scimitar
1977-78 Larry K. Smith, LaFollette Press
1978-79 Sam D. Kennedy, Columbia Daily Herald
1979-80 J. Owen Burgess, States Graphic, Brownsville
1980-81 Tom Hill, Oak Ridger, Oak Ridge
1981-82 Richard Knight, Livingston Enterprise
1982-83 Bill Williams, Paris Post-Intelligencer
1983-84 Dale C. Gentry, Jefferson County Standard-Banner
1984-85 Joseph P. Albrecht, Cookeville Herald-Citiizen
1985-86 George T. Whitley, Covington Leader
1986-87 R. Jack Fishman, Morristown Citizen Tribune
1987-88 Hershel Lake, Pulaski Citizen/Giles Free Press
1988-89 John Paul Jones, Memphis Daily News
1989-90 Nancy Petrey, Newport Plain Talk
1990-91 Sam Hatcher, Lebanon Democrat
1991-92 Bob Parkins, Milan Mirror Exchange
1992-93 Gregg K. Jones, Greeneville Sun
1993-94 Bob Atkins, News-Examiner, Gallatin
1994-95 F. Gene Washer, Leaf-Chronicle, Clarksville
1995-96 Bobby Buckner, News-Herald, Lenoir City
1996-97 Ron Fryar, Daily News Journal, Murfreesboro
1997-98 Scott Whaley, Chester County Independent, Henderson
1998-99 John M. Jones Jr., Greeneville Sun
1999-00 Terry Craig, Tullahoma News
2000-01 Scott Brown, Jackson Sun/F. Gene Washer, Leaf-Chronicle, Clarksville (Brown was elected, but moved out of state one month after installation. Washer was appointed to fulfill the term.)
2000-01 F. Gene Washer, The Leaf-Chronicle, Clarksville, previously served 1994-95
2001-02 Thomas G. Wilson, III, Monroe County Advocate, Sweetwater
2002-03 Mike Pirtle, The Daily News Journal, Murfreesboro
2003-04 Janet Rail, Independent-Appeal, Selmer
2004-05 R. Michael Fishman, Citizen Tribune, Morristown
2005-06 Steve Lake, Pulaski Citizen and The Giles Free Press, Pulaski
2006-07 Henry A. Stokes, Germantown & Collierville Appeal, an edition of The Commercial Appeal
2007-08 Pauline Sherrer, Crossville Chronicle
2008-09 Tom Griscom, Chattanooga Times Free Press
2009-10 Victor Parkins, The Milan Mirror-Exchange
2010-11 Arthur S. (Art) Powers, Johnson City Press
2011-12 Jeffrey D. (Jeff) Fishman, The Tullahoma News
2012-13 Michael B. Williams, The Paris Post-Intelligencer
2013-14 Lynn J. Richardson, Herald & Tribune, Jonesborough, Note: Richardson became publisher of Elizabethton Star in March 2014.
2014-15 Jason P. Taylor, Chattanooga Times Free Press (resigned Aug. 1 to take a position out of state)
2014-15 Joel Washburn, The McKenzie Banner
2015-16 Jack McElroy, Knoxville News Sentinel
2016-17 W.R. (Ron) Fryar, Cannon Courier, Woodbury, previously served 1996-97
2017-18 Eric Barnes, The Daily News, Memphis
2018-19 Doug Horne, Republic Newspapers, Knoxville
2019-20 Chris Sherrill Vass, Chattanooga Times Free Press
2020-21 Daniel Richardson, Carroll County News Leader, Huntingdon
2021-22 Rick Thomason, Kingsport Times-News
2022-23 Jack McNeely, Cleveland Daily Banner (resigned)
2022-23 Chris Sherrill Vass, Chattanooga Times Free Press (Nov. 2023)
