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About TPA

Tennessee Press Association

The Tennessee Press Association is the trade association of Tennessee’s daily and non-daily newspapers, and it is the parent organization of Tennessee Press Service and Tennessee Press Association Foundation. It was founded in 1870-71 for the purpose of creating a unified voice for the newspaper industry of Tennessee.

Today, TPA continues to provide assistance to its 132 member newspapers by monitoring legislative activities, providing training programs, issuing press credentials, maintaining a Web site and employment database, and providing regular meetings and forums to foster the exchange of information and ideas.

Mission Statement 
To help member publishers achieve greater success than each could attain individually.
(adopted June 16, 2011)

Vision Statement
1. Advocate for the press by proactively shaping public policy and opinion
2. Facilitate statewide standards and execution across the membership
3. Coordinate the exchange of ideas and the sharing of tools, best practices and opportunities to help members elevate their craft.
(adopted June 16, 2011)

Tennessee Press Association Board of Directors
June 2023-July 2024

President:
Daniel Williams, The Paris Post-Intelligencer

First Vice President:
Darrell Richardson, The Daily Times, Maryville

Second Vice President:
Vacant 1/1/24

Treasurer:
Eric Barnes, The Daily News, Memphis

Secretary:
Dave Gould, Main Street Media of Tennessee, Gallatin

Immediate Past President:
Chris Vass, Chattanooga Times Free Press

Directors, District One:
• Calvin Anderson, The New Tri-State Defender, Memphis
• Victor Parkins, The Mirror-Exchange, Milan
• Melanie King, McNairy County News, Selmer

Directors, District Two:
• David Plazas, The Tennessean, Nashville

• Alison Gerber, Chattanooga Times Free Press
• Lindsay Pride, Herald-Citizen, Cookeville

Directors, District Three:
• Sandy Dodson, The Bledsonian-Banner, Pikeville
• Dale Gentry, The Standard Banner, Jefferson City
• Paul Mauney, The Greeneville Sun

last updated 2/6/24

Past Presidents of the Tennessee Press Association
1869-2024

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. 2022)
2023-24 Daniel Williams, The Paris Post-Intelligencer