Thank you, Dr. Clark

In the summer of 1996, I was a staff writer at The Vista at the University of Central Oklahoma.

I wrote an article about sidewalks. I quoted an official with the facilities management department. He didn't like that and he didn't like the headline (written by an editor). 

He fired off a letter to Dr. Terry Clark, the chair of the UCO Journalism Department. The official admonished me for taking him out of context (by quoting him). He also criticized the headline and my journalistic integrity.

At age 19, I was a little nervous, meeting with Dr. Clark. He asked me if what I wrote was accurate. I replied that it was. He didn't bat an eye and defended me from the criticism. I still have the critical letter and I still remember Dr. Clark defending accuracy.

Over the years, Dr. Clark challenged me, a student with poor study habits. He challenged me to defy conventional wisdom when necessary. He challenged me to work hard and "get the quote!"

He championed small, community newspapers like the one from which I started my career.  One of my most rewarding experiences was in Dr. Clark's Advanced News Editing. My assignment was to redesign a small town newspaper. The publisher was skeptical of my ideas but offered me a job.

After a class, he challenged me to follow through and finish my degree. Many years later, I would finally take his advice and graduate.

As time went on, I left newspapers for radio. Still lessons from Dr. Clark persist to this day.

My story is but a footnote in Dr. Clark's career. A longtime editor and publisher, he became a legend at UCO and around the state of Oklahoma. His monthly column  in The Oklahoma Publisher is a must read, critiquing newspapers across the state. He started the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame, housed at UCO.

He never stopped questioning. He never stopped championing his students. 

On May 1st, Dr. Clark is retiring.  His impact can be felt throughout the state. Through writing a column for the Oklahoma Press Association, teaching at UCO or earlier at Oklahoma State University, Dr. Clark has made an indelible mark on Oklahoma journalism.

Thank you, Dr. Clark.