A TRUE ICON
12/11/2021 10:56:00 AM | General
Dave Campbell, founder of Texas Football magazine, passes away at 96
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Dave Campbell, 96, founder of Texas Football magazine, longtime sports editor of the Waco Tribune-Herald (1953-93) and the man I followed as editor of the Baylor Bear Insider, died Friday at his Waco home.
Services are pending for "Mr. Dave," who is survived by his daughters, Becky Roche and husband David of Austin; and Julie Carlson and husband Alan of Waco; sister, Jo Campbell, of Waco; and grandchildren, Campbell Roche and his wife, Katie; Jackson Roche and his wife Caroline; and Darby Carlson. He was preceded in death by his parents, A.G. and Minnie Pearl Campbell; and his wife of more than 70 years, Reba Weaver Campbell.
"Everyone in the Baylor Football family is saddened to learn of Dave Campbell's passing," Baylor head coach Dave Aranda tweeted. "Mr. Dave was a man of great character and a true icon in the football community. He set a high standard for integrity and professionalism in journalism, and his voice will be deeply missed."
Born March 15, 1925, in Waco, Campbell graduated second in his class at La Vega High School in 1942. "My mother was furious," Jo said. "She just knew they had stolen the valedictorian from him."
Two days after his high school graduation, Dave was working as a copy boy at the Waco News-Tribune and Times-Herald, beginning a newspaper career that spanned six decades.
"He could turn a phrase with the best, and he could take someone else's lackluster work and turn into passable prose," said Jim Montgomery, who worked with Dave at the newspaper for eight years (1957-69). "Those of us who worked for him truly believed he could make a silk purse forget where it came from."
Drafted in 1943 when he turned 18, Campbell served in the 14th Armored Division of the 7th Army. He had combat duty in France and Germany and earned a Bronze Star before returning to the newspaper and Baylor in 1946.
Campbell graduated from Baylor in 1950 with a degree in journalism and became the newspaper's sports editor three years later after his predecessor, Jinx Tucker, died. He served in that role for 40 years before his first retirement in 1993.
Along with longtime right-hand man Hollis Biddle and outdoors editor Earl Golding, Dave's list of protegees at the Trib included longtime Houston Chronicle NFL writer John McClain, well-respected columnist David Casstevens, former NCAA News editor David Pickle and former Houston Chronicle executive editor Tony Pederson.
"At one time or another, every staffer in the sports department tried to write like Campbell," McClain said. "Eventually, we developed our own styles, but they paled in comparison. And still do."
Longtime Austin American-Statesman sportswriter Randy Riggs said that "Dave is to sports journalism what Michael Jordan was to basketball, the best ever."
"He never asked for it, and certainly didn't embrace it, but Dave Campbell is the model for who, and what, we've all tried to be."
With his reputation around the state already established, a then-35-year-old Campbell stamped his legacy with the launch of Texas Football magazine in 1960. The original magazine was 96 pages and sold for 50 cents.
"I was so proud of it," Dave said of the first magazine, which had University of Texas running back Jack Collins on the cover. "I think that would be one of the highlights of my journalism experience. We thought it was a great magazine, and I think it was a really good magazine. We were total novices in the magazine business. All of our experiences had been in newspapers."
Still recognized as "the Bible of Texas football," the magazine was sold to Host Communications in 1985. Even though it's gone through two more ownership changes, Dave's name has remained on the magazine cover for the last 36 years, with the 62nd edition published this summer.
"Nobody, for a longer period of time, has had a bigger impact on the game of football and those that play it and coach it in the state of Texas than has Dave Campbell and his magazine," said Grant Teaff, Baylor's Hall of Fame football coach. "This man has had a huge impact on something we love – the game of football."
After retiring from the Tribune-Herald in 1993, Dave served as editor of the Bear Foundation's Baylor Bear Insider until 2008, chronicling national championships in women's basketball and men's tennis.
A past president of the Football Writers Association of America and longtime Southwest sectional representative for the Heisman Trophy voting, Campbell has been inducted in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Texas High School Football Hall of Fame and Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame (2004).
As recently as 2019, Dave was still attending Baylor football's weekly press conferences, going to every home football game and remained a passionate follower of the women's basketball program.
Like so many sportswriters around the state, I owe my career and any success I've had to Dave Campbell. He first hired me to write for the high school section of Texas Football magazine during my senior year at North Texas, was my boss at the Tribune-Herald for 10 years, a constant mentor, occasional tennis partner and a dear friend for the last 38 years.
My heart broke when I got the news Friday night of Dave's passing, but I also rejoice in the reunion that my friend and mentor, Mr. Dave, is having with his "ever-loving," Reba, in heaven.
"Well done, good and faithful servant. "
Baylor Bear Insider
Dave Campbell, 96, founder of Texas Football magazine, longtime sports editor of the Waco Tribune-Herald (1953-93) and the man I followed as editor of the Baylor Bear Insider, died Friday at his Waco home.
Services are pending for "Mr. Dave," who is survived by his daughters, Becky Roche and husband David of Austin; and Julie Carlson and husband Alan of Waco; sister, Jo Campbell, of Waco; and grandchildren, Campbell Roche and his wife, Katie; Jackson Roche and his wife Caroline; and Darby Carlson. He was preceded in death by his parents, A.G. and Minnie Pearl Campbell; and his wife of more than 70 years, Reba Weaver Campbell.
"Everyone in the Baylor Football family is saddened to learn of Dave Campbell's passing," Baylor head coach Dave Aranda tweeted. "Mr. Dave was a man of great character and a true icon in the football community. He set a high standard for integrity and professionalism in journalism, and his voice will be deeply missed."
Born March 15, 1925, in Waco, Campbell graduated second in his class at La Vega High School in 1942. "My mother was furious," Jo said. "She just knew they had stolen the valedictorian from him."
Two days after his high school graduation, Dave was working as a copy boy at the Waco News-Tribune and Times-Herald, beginning a newspaper career that spanned six decades.
"He could turn a phrase with the best, and he could take someone else's lackluster work and turn into passable prose," said Jim Montgomery, who worked with Dave at the newspaper for eight years (1957-69). "Those of us who worked for him truly believed he could make a silk purse forget where it came from."
Drafted in 1943 when he turned 18, Campbell served in the 14th Armored Division of the 7th Army. He had combat duty in France and Germany and earned a Bronze Star before returning to the newspaper and Baylor in 1946.
Campbell graduated from Baylor in 1950 with a degree in journalism and became the newspaper's sports editor three years later after his predecessor, Jinx Tucker, died. He served in that role for 40 years before his first retirement in 1993.
Along with longtime right-hand man Hollis Biddle and outdoors editor Earl Golding, Dave's list of protegees at the Trib included longtime Houston Chronicle NFL writer John McClain, well-respected columnist David Casstevens, former NCAA News editor David Pickle and former Houston Chronicle executive editor Tony Pederson.
"At one time or another, every staffer in the sports department tried to write like Campbell," McClain said. "Eventually, we developed our own styles, but they paled in comparison. And still do."
Longtime Austin American-Statesman sportswriter Randy Riggs said that "Dave is to sports journalism what Michael Jordan was to basketball, the best ever."
"He never asked for it, and certainly didn't embrace it, but Dave Campbell is the model for who, and what, we've all tried to be."
With his reputation around the state already established, a then-35-year-old Campbell stamped his legacy with the launch of Texas Football magazine in 1960. The original magazine was 96 pages and sold for 50 cents.
"I was so proud of it," Dave said of the first magazine, which had University of Texas running back Jack Collins on the cover. "I think that would be one of the highlights of my journalism experience. We thought it was a great magazine, and I think it was a really good magazine. We were total novices in the magazine business. All of our experiences had been in newspapers."
Still recognized as "the Bible of Texas football," the magazine was sold to Host Communications in 1985. Even though it's gone through two more ownership changes, Dave's name has remained on the magazine cover for the last 36 years, with the 62nd edition published this summer.
"Nobody, for a longer period of time, has had a bigger impact on the game of football and those that play it and coach it in the state of Texas than has Dave Campbell and his magazine," said Grant Teaff, Baylor's Hall of Fame football coach. "This man has had a huge impact on something we love – the game of football."
After retiring from the Tribune-Herald in 1993, Dave served as editor of the Bear Foundation's Baylor Bear Insider until 2008, chronicling national championships in women's basketball and men's tennis.
A past president of the Football Writers Association of America and longtime Southwest sectional representative for the Heisman Trophy voting, Campbell has been inducted in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Texas High School Football Hall of Fame and Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame (2004).
As recently as 2019, Dave was still attending Baylor football's weekly press conferences, going to every home football game and remained a passionate follower of the women's basketball program.
Like so many sportswriters around the state, I owe my career and any success I've had to Dave Campbell. He first hired me to write for the high school section of Texas Football magazine during my senior year at North Texas, was my boss at the Tribune-Herald for 10 years, a constant mentor, occasional tennis partner and a dear friend for the last 38 years.
My heart broke when I got the news Friday night of Dave's passing, but I also rejoice in the reunion that my friend and mentor, Mr. Dave, is having with his "ever-loving," Reba, in heaven.
"Well done, good and faithful servant. "
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