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Texas State University. University News Service

 Organization

Dates

  • Usage: circa 1943 - 1965
  • Usage: 1943 - 1965
  • Usage: 1965 - 1969
  • Usage: 1969- circa 1994
  • Usage: 1969 - 1994
  • Usage: circa 1994-2003
  • Usage: 1994 - 2003
  • Usage: circa 1994
  • Usage: 1994    

Biography

The University News Service at Texas State University was established in the early 1940s to communicate information about the University to the public and to promote the achievements of its faculty, staff, and students. The predecessor to the University News Service, the Department of Public Services, was established in 1939 under Director Patrick Henry (Pat) Norwood. At that time, the University was focused on teacher education and was named Southwest Texas State Teachers College. Although the Department of Public Services was responsible for communicating with the public, it initially directed its attention to the education and employment of teachers. The Department’s Placement Bureau worked to place graduates of the College in teaching positions and its Extension Division offered courses to off-campus students through direct instruction and correspondence courses.

The News Service was formally established as a unit within the Department of Public Services at least by 1943. Beyond representing the College to the public, it was also responsible for producing college publications, including the student-run newspaper, The College Star. Journalism students also assisted the News Service working as reporters and photographers. They helped create press releases for publication in local newspapers and radio broadcasts that occasionally aired on local radio stations. The News Service maintained a long term relationship with the Department of Journalism and its students. In 1961, Bruce Roche, an instructor in the Department of Journalism, was appointed Director of the College News Service.

Pat Norwood served as the Director of the Department of Public Services until his promotion to the Director of the Administrator’s Intern Program in 1965. At that time, the Department of Public Services was disbanded and the Office of Placement and Extension Services was created to aid in student education and employment. The College News Service and other general services were placed under the direction of the Vice President for College Affairs (later the Vice President for University Affairs).

The University News Service saw its greatest development under the direction of Patricia (Pat) Murdock. Murdock served as Director of the University News Service from 1970 through 1993. In that time, she grew the department from herself, a shared secretary, and a half-time sports information director to a staff of seven full-time employees. Additionally, it was during her tenure that advisement of The University Star (formerly The College Star) was transferred to the Department of Journalism. Although the News Service continued to employ students, its focus became communicating with the public, creating University publications, and publicizing the University and its events. During this time period, the News Service was also known as the News and Information Service.

Since 1980, the News Service has been organized under the office of the Vice President of University Advancement and its predecessors, the offices of the Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Vice President of Student and Institutional Relations. Additionally, although the office has officially gone through at least two name changes since 1994, including the Office of Media Relations and Publications and the Office of Media Relations, the title University News Service continues to be used by the office especially in press releases.

Sources: Undergraduate Catalogs, Faculty Handbooks, Staff Handbooks, University News Service morgue files, Pedagogs

Found in 14 Collections and/or Records:

Institutional Name Change Records

 Collection
Identifier: 24.200-NameChange(2003)
Abstract

This collection documents the work done by University administration following the 2003 legislation that changed the name from Southwest Texas State University to Texas State University-San Marcos.

Dates: 1958-2005, 2013; Majority of material found within 2000-2003

Lyndon Baines Johnson collection

 Collection
Identifier: 80.300-LBJ
Abstract Lyndon B. Johnson attended Southwest Texas State Teachers College from 1927-1930. Throughout his political career, Johnson maintained a close relationship with the college in San Marcos, in all its incarnations. He visited the campus frequently, often several times per year, until his death in 1973. This collection was largely compiled by the University News Service and consists of materials about President Lyndon Baines Johnson and his relationship to his alma mater. The bulk of the...
Dates: 1926-2012; Majority of material found within 1963 - 1973

News Service collection on Jerome H. Supple

 Collection
Identifier: 21.900-08-Supple
Abstract

The collection was primarily created and compiled by the University News and Information Service and the Office of Media Relations and Publications. Materials include planning materials for the presidential selection and Supple’s installation, media coverage of events, Supple’s cancer diagnosis and research, and items related to his legacy including photographs.

Dates: 1988-2004, undated

News Service collection on Lee H. Smith

 Collection
Identifier: 12.3004
Abstract

The collection was compiled by the University News and Information Service and the Office of Media Relations and Publications. It contains copies of biographical notes, speeches, press releases, clippings, photographs, negatives, as well as reel to reel tape recordings of administration reports and presumably interviews for KCNY radio.

Dates: 1974-1986

News Service collection on the San Marcos 10

 File
Identifier: 2017-002
Abstract

A group of ten students, who became known as the San Marcos 10, were suspended from Southwest Texas State University in 1969 after refusing to leave a student-led protest of the Vietnam War. Collection consists of compiled materials largely from the News Service/Media Relations and contains photographs from 1969 as well as information related to subsequent on-campus reunions.

Dates: 1969-2019; Majority of material found in 2001

News Service people morgue inventory

 Collection
Identifier: 80.100-Peoplemorgue
Abstract

Compiled background information files on people associated with the university to reference when writing press releases as well as the press releases themselves. These files were compiled first by the University News Service, and later added to after their transfer to the University Archives.

Dates: circa 1910s-2019

News Service regular subject morgue inventory

 Collection
Identifier: 80.100-morgue
Content Description

Materials consist of collected background information files on events, conferences, clippings, topics, and current events associated with the university to reference when writing press releases as well as the press releases themselves. Also contains small amount of photographs and digitial media. These files were compiled first by the University News Service, and later added to after their transfer to the University Archives. Inventory organized by box number.

Dates: circa 1960s - 2010s

Office of Media Relations presidential speeches

 Collection
Identifier: 21.200-Speeches
Abstract

Speeches and remarks given by the University President at a wide variety of events. Also includes some speeches and remarks by other University personnel who spoke at those events.

Dates: 1977-2004

Snowball fight collection

 Collection — Box 1: [Barcode: 0112222692496]
Identifier: 42.500-SnowballFight
Abstract

This collection documents the annual snowball that happened 1964 until 1979. Materials include press releases, fact sheets, news clippings, correspondence, photographs and other printed matter originating from both the Southwest Texas State College and Michigan Technological University campus administrations and news services.

Dates: 1966-1979

Southwest Texas State University News Service radio scripts

 Collection
Identifier: 2020-003
Abstract

University News Service radio show scripts for programs broadcasted on San Marcos, Texas local station KCNY AM 1470. The scripts describe campus and University-related events as well as local news, traffic, and weather. Topics covered include: university sports, beauty pageants and contests, fraternity and sorority activities, guest speakers and lecturers, and updates concerning campus operations.

Dates: 1968-1972

Student beauty pageant collection

 File
Identifier: 2016-004
Abstract

Materials compiled largely by the University News Service on the various beauty pageants that were held from the 1950s to the mid-1970s at Texas State University. Pageants often were held in conjunction with campus events such as homecoming. Included are photographs of contestants, a calendar, event programs, press releases, news clippings, and administrative records.

Dates: 1950-1975

University News Service news clipping books

 Collection
Identifier: 80.100-NewsClippings
Abstract

Books of clippings and articles compiled by the University News Service at Texas State University related to the University.

Dates: 1975-2006

University News Service press releases

 Collection
Identifier: 12.3002
Abstract

Official press or news releases created by the University News Service at Texas State University, to publicize and communicate University-related information with the public.

Dates: 1967-2002

University photograph and negative collection

 Record Group
Identifier: 70.200-image
Scope and Contents

All of these collections have distinct provenances and date ranges. They were largely created by the News Service and University Marketing and our official university images.

Many of the negatives have envelope or roll numbers; there are gaps in the number ranges. See internal database for more details.

Dates: circa 1970 - 2019