Public Invited to Reception Honoring 100 Years of The Herald
JONESBORO — As part of the celebration of 100 years of The Herald of Arkansas State University, there will be a special reception, Thursday, Nov. 18, at 6 p.m., in Centennial Hall in the Reng Student Union on campus.
The event is open to the public. However, those who plan to attend are asked to RSVP to scombs@AState.edu or call 870-972-3070 for food planning purposes.
A copy of the Aggie Herald from Nov. 18, 1921.
“Journalism matters and for 100 years, The Herald, originally named Aggie Herald, has mattered at A-State,” said Sandra L. Combs, associate professor of multimedia journalism production and faculty adviser.
“The student-run newspaper has supplied countless photographs, stories, jokes, graphics, advertisements and reports that have become the first draft of history for campus and the surrounding community. It also has trained numerous journalists and communication specialists who have made a difference in recording and reporting the good and bad across campus, throughout the nation and the world.”
Several journalism alumni will offer remarks and stories about the history of The Herald to the more than 100 people expected to attend, including former Herald editors Dr. Dorothy Bland, Dr. Joel Gambill, Gretchen Hunt, Lance Turner and Roy Ockert, who is formerly the editor of the Jonesboro Sun. Hunt is also visiting campus that day as part of the Gambill Speaker Series.
The Herald of Arkansas State University is based in the School of Media and Journalism, an area of excellence within the College of Liberal Arts and Communication, following Board of Trustees action in December 2018. Dr. Brad Rawlins is school director and professor of strategic communication.
Although The Herald has its beginnings with Vol. 1, No. 1, on Nov. 18, 1921, the first issue of The Herald of Arkansas State University was published Jan. 18, 1967, as a special edition featuring one of the biggest stories in the institution’s history. It was the first publication to break the news of the Arkansas General Assembly decision to grant university status for then-Arkansas State College, followed by Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller’s bill-signing ceremony.
Editor Roy Ockert and other Herald representatives at the State Capitol journeyed back in a snowstorm, writing articles enroute and finalizing the special edition that night. Ockert, a 1967 graduate went on to serve as editor of three Arkansas daily newspapers and teach at A-State and two other colleges during a distinguished career spanning more than a half century.
