SWT professor named “Texas Legend”of scholastic journalism

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS — A Southwest Texas State University education professor is one of 75 individuals to be named a “Texas Legend” in the field of scholastic journalism by the University Interscholastic League.

Thom Prentice, professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at SWT, was honored recently at a conference at the league’s headquarters in Austin.

The event was part of the UIL’s 75th anniversary celebration. Prentice and others were honored for career contributions to the field of scholastic journalism.

“I am honored to have been chosen to receive this award,” said Prentice. “To be on a list that includes such great educators as Max Haddick, Lorene Denney, Dewitt Reddick and the truly legendary Walter Cronkite is something I take pride in.”

Before joining the SWT faculty, Prentice taught at Austin High School, where his students won top awards in nearly every category of newspaper and yearbook journalism. He has been a frequent contributor to journals on a wide range of high school journalism topics and has presented sessions at dozens of conferences. He received the Edith Fox Kind Award in 1980 and was runner-up for the Dow Jones national journalism teacher of the year award in 1981. He joined the SWT faculty in 1990.