Missouri Press Association
Serving Missouri Newspapers Since 1867
The Missouri Press Association celebrates a glorious past. The presidency of the organization began in 1867 with J. W. Barrett of The Canton Press.

This "gavel," donated to Missouri Press Association in 2006 by Steve Oldfield of Adrian (2006 MPA President), is kept in a glass case that has the names of all past MPA Presidents engraved on it.


(*Deceased)

1. J. W. Barrett* - Canton Press, 1867-68-69

2. Norman J. Colman* - Rural World, 1870-71

3. C. B. Wilkinson* - St. Joseph Herald, 1872

4. A. Y. Hull* - Sedalia Democrat, 1873

5. William F. Switzler* - Columbia Statesman, 1874

6. L. J. Eastin* - Glasgow Journal, 1875

7. Milo Blair* - Boonville Eagle, 1876

8. T. W. Park* - Platte City Landmark, 1877

9. J. E. Hutton* - Mexico Intelligencer, 1878-79

10. J. H. Turner* - Carrollton Record, 1879-80

11. J. T. Child* - Richmond Conservator, 1881

12. A. A. Leseuer* - Lexington Intelligencer, 1882

13. J. B. Thompson* - LaPlata Home Press, 1883

14. R. B. Speed* - Nevada Mail, 1884

15. R. M. White* - Mexico Ledger, 1885

16. J. A. Hudson* - Macon Times, 1886

17. W. D. Crandall* - Brookfield Gazette, 1887

18. I. H. Kinley* - Brunswick Brunswicker, 1888

19. Walter Williams* - Boonville Advertiser, 1889

20. E. W. Stephens* - Columbia Herald, 1890

21. J. West Goodwin* - Sedalia Bazoo, 1891

22. W. O. L. Jewett* - Shelbina Democrat, 1892

23. J. C. Kerby* - West Plains Gazette, 1893

24. John Knott* - Hannibal Courier, 1894

25. John W. Jacks* - Montgomery Standard, 1895

26. H. E. Robinson* - Maryville Republican, 1896

27. Henry W. Ewing* - Jefferson City Tribune, 1897

28. George H. Trigg* - Richmond Conservator, 1898

29. H. J. Groves* - Independence Sentinel, 1899

30. W. R. Painter* - Carrollton Democrat, 1900

31. Wes L. Robertson* - Gallatin Democrat, 1901

32. E. P. Caruthers* - Kennett Democrat, 1902

33. Howard Ellis* - New Florence Leader, 1903

34. T. T. Wilson* - Tarkio Avalanche, 1904

35. William Southern, Jr.* - Independence Examiner, 1905-06

36. Phillip Gansz* - Macon Republican, 1907

37. Omar D. Gray* - Sturgeon Leader, 1908

38. Henry F. Childers* - Troy Free Press, 1909

39. C. M. Harrison* - Gallatin North Missourian, 1910

40. J. R. Lowell* - Moberly Democrat, 1911

41. E. L. Purcell* - Fredericktown Democrat-News, 1912

42. Ovid Bell* - Fulton Gazette, 1913

43. Fred Naeter* - Cape Girardeau Republican, 1914

44. H. S. Sturgis* - Neosho Times, 1915

45. J. Kelly Pool* - Centralia Courier, 1916

46. H. J. Blanton* - Paris Appeal, 1917

47. J. P. Tucker* - Parkville Gazette, 1918

48. J. N. Stonebraker* - Carrollton Republican, 1919

49. Will H. Zorn* - West Plains Gazette, 1920

50. Mitchell White* - Mexico Ledger, 1921

51. Fred Hull* - Maryville Tribune, 1922

52. Dwight H. Brown* - Poplar Bluff American, 1923

53. Asa W. Butler* - Albany Capitol, 1924

54. Eugene B. Roach* - Carthage Democrat, 1925

55. E. H. Winter* - Warrenton Banner, 1926

56. C. L. Hobart* - Holden Progress, 1927

57. Harry Denman* - Farmington News, 1928

58. Charles L. Woods* - Rolla Herald, 1929

59. E. E. Swain* - Kirksville Express, 1930

60. Frank H. Sosey* - Palmyra Spectator, 1931

61. W. J. Sewall* - Carthage Press, 1932

62. Wallace Crossley* - Warrensburg Star-Journal, 1933

63. Fred M. Harrison* - Gallatin North Missourian, 1934

64. W.L. Bouchard* - Lead Belt News, Flat River, 1935

65. R. C. Goshorn* - Jefferson City Post-Tribune, 1936

66. John C. Stapel* - Rock Port Atchison County Mail, 1937

67. George B. Harlan* - Boonville Cooper County Record, 1938

68. James Todd* - Moberly Monitor-Index, 1939

69. Clint H. Denman* - Sikeston Herald, 1940

70. C. E. Watkins* - Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune, 1941

71. W. E. Freeland* - Forsyth Taney County Republican, 1942

72. O. J. Ferguson* - Fredericktown Democrat-News, 1943

73. Frank H. Hollmann* - Warrenton Banner, 1944

74. W. C. Hewitt* - Shelbyville Shelby County Herald, 1945

75. T. Ballard Watters* - Marshfield Mail, 1946

76. George P. Johnston* - Fulton Sun-Gazette, 1947

77. Meredith Garten*, - Pierce City Leader Journal, 1948

78. Stanley R. Fike* - Fairmount Inter-City News, 1949

79. T. J. Clark* - Carrollton Republican-Record, 1950

80. L. N. Bowman* - King City Tri-County News, 1951

81. George H. Scruton* - Sedalia Democrat, 1952

82. Mack F. Denman* - Farmington News, 1953

83. A. A. Steinbeck* - Union Franklin County Tribune, 1954

84. C. L. Blanton, Jr.* - Sikeston Standard, 1955

85. Joe M. Roberts* - Maysville Record-Herald, 1956

86. W. L. Simpson* - Holden Progress, 1957

87. E. J. Melton* - Boonville Record, 1958

88. James C. Kirkpatrick* - Windsor Review, 1959

89. E. L. Dale* - Carthage Press, 1960

90. Victor Gierke* - Louisiana Press-Journal, 1961

91. Harry E. Guth, Sr.* - Perryville Republic, 1962

92. J. W. Brown, Jr.* - Harrisonville Democrat-Missourian, 1963

93. Jac W. Zimmerman* - Willow Springs News, 1964

94. Ben F. Weir, Sr.* - Nevada Daily Mail, 1965

95. J. J. Graf* - Hermann Advertiser-Courier, 1966

96. Oliver B. Ferguson* - Fredericktown Democrat-News, 1967

97. Lucius B. Morse* - St. Louis Daily Record, 1968

98. Marion Ridings* - Hamilton Advocate-Hamiltonian, 1969

99. Robert L. Vickery* - Salem News & Post, 1970

100. J. Porter Fisher* - New London Ralls County Record, 1971

101. Harry Naeter* - Cape Girardeau S.E. Missourian, 1972

102. Wallace Vernon* - Eldon Advertiser, 1973

103. Bill D. Williams* - Thayer News, 1974

104. Joseph Snyder* - Gallatin North Missourian, 1975

105. Robert Blosser* - Jefferson City News & Tribune, 1976

106. Charles L. Blanton III* - Sikeston Standard, 1977

107. Weldon H. "Pete" Steiner* - Vandalia Leader-Press, 1978

108. John Henry Cox*  - Rock Port Atchison County Mail, 1979

109. Rogers Hewitt - Shelbyville Shelby County Herald, 1980

110. William O. Lenhart* - Trenton Republican-Times, 1981

111. Mrs. Avis Tucker* - Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal, 1982

112. Ralph E. Clayton* - Caruthersville Democrat-Argus, 1983

113. Robert M. White II* - Mexico Ledger, 1984

114. James C. Sterling - Bolivar Herald-Free Press, 1985

115. Dalton C. Wright - Lebanon Daily Record, 1986

116. Charles A. Hedberg* - Centralia Fireside Guard, 1987

117. Betty Simpson Spaar* - Odessa Odessan, 1988

118. Kenneth W. Cope* - Neosho Daily News, 1989

119. W. Ray Vickery* - Salem News, 1990

120. R. B. "Bob" Smith III* - Lebanon Daily Record, 1991

121. Thomas L. Miller, Sr* - Washington Missourian, 1992

122. Donald Warden - Owensville Republican, 1993

123. F. Kirk Powell* - Pleasant Hill Times, 1994

124. Chuck Haney* - Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune, 1995

125. Harold Ellinghouse - Piedmont Journal-Banner, 1996

126. David Lipman* - St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1997

127. William E. James* - Harrisonville Democrat-Missourian, 1998

128. Robert W. Wilson* - Milan Standard, 1999

129. William L. Miller, Sr. - Washington Missourian, 2000

130. Wendell J. Lenhart - Trenton Republican-Times, 2001

131. Dane Vernon - Eldon Advertiser, 2002

132. Dave Berry - Bolivar Herald-Free Press, 2003

133. Gary Sosneicki - Vandalia Leader, 2004

134. John Spaar - Odessa Odessan, 2005

135. Steve Oldfield* - Adrian Journal, 2006

136. Dave Bradley - St. Joseph News-Press, 2007

137. Jack Whitaker* - Hannibal Courier-Post, 2008

138. Vicki Russell - Columbia Daily Tribune, 2009

139. Kevin Jones* - St. Louis American, 2010

140. Joe May - Mexico Ledger, 2011

141. Phil Conger - Bethany Republican-Clipper, 2012

142. Mark Maassen - The Kansas City Star., 2013

143. Richard Gard - Missouri Lawyers Weekly, 2014

144. Jim Robertson - Columbia Daily Tribune, 2015

145. Dennis Warden - Gasconade County Republican | Owensville, 2016

146. Jeff Schrag - The Daily Events | Springfield, 2017

147. Carol Stark* - The Joplin Globe | Joplin, 2018

148. James Mahlon White - Benton County Enterprise | Warsaw, 2019

149. Trevor Vernon - Eldon Advertiser, 2020

150. Liz Irwin - Missouri Lawyers Media, 2021

151. Roger Dillon - Shannon County Current Wave | Eminence, 2022

152. Beth Durreman - Laclede County Record | Lebanon, 2023

153. Amos Bridges - Springfield News-Leader, 2024