FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 5, 2008
Contact: Molly Dannenmaier, 409-765-7834
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
molly.dannenmaier@galvestonhistory.org

Former Belo Archivist to Present Lecture November 7 on History of Dallas-Based Media Empire That Traces its Roots to Galveston

Part of Galveston Historical Foundation’s Menard Lecture Series

Galveston Historical Foundation will host another in its popular series of Menard Lectures on Friday, November 7, 2008, 5:30, at Galveston’s oldest residential dwelling, the Michel B. Menard House. The lecture is entitled “Belo From Newspapers to New Media,” and will focus on the history of the Belo Corporation, which traces its roots back to 1842 with the introduction of “The Daily News” in Galveston, Texas.

The speaker, former Belo Corporation archivist Judith Garrett Segura, is the author of a new book, “Belo From Newspapers to New Media,” published by the University of Texas Press, September 2008. It is available for sale online at www.utexas.edu/utpress/books/segbel.html.

Her book and lecture draw on company archives and private papers of key figures, including A. H. Belo and G. B. Dealey, to bring to life important chapters in the cultural life of Texas, from Galveston's days as the largest and most vibrant town in the Republic of Texas, through the wars that followed statehood, periods of economic hardship, and the effects of sweeping social change. Turning points in the company's history, such as the sale of its Galveston paper when company revenues were dramatically affected by candid reporting of Ku Klux Klan activities in the 1920s, highlight crucial elements of the press's role in the life of a community.

The company’s flagship, “The Dallas Morning News,” has been publishing since 1885. The name A. H. Belo Corporation was applied to the company in 1926. The name was shortened to Belo Corp. in 2002.

Segura retired as president and trustee of the Belo Foundation in 2004 after 24 years with the company. A visual artist and poet, she is also the author of numerous feature stories and books on Texana.

This lecture is one of a two-part fall lecture package focusing on the Belo Corporation’s history and its connection to Galveston. On September 26, historian Michael V. Hazel will present a lecture entitled “First Links in a Chain: The Galveston Daily News and The Dallas Morning News. A full description of that lecture can be found at www.galvestonhistory.org.

The venue for both these lectures is the Michel B. Menard House, Galveston’s oldest surviving residential dwelling, recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the finest examples of historic preservation in the United States. The Menard House is furnished with museum-quality 19th-century Empire pieces and is located at 1605 33rd Street in Galveston. The event begins at 5:30 with light refreshments. The lecture begins promptly at 6 p.m.

The ticket price for each Menard Lecture is $10 for GHF members, $12 for non-members. Seating is limited; reservations are required. Tickets can be purchased at Ashton Villa, 2328 Broadway; Custom House, 502 20th Street; or by calling GHF at (409) 765-7834.