The Mississippi Press Association Board of Directors established the MPA Hall of Fame in January 1986 with the first honorees inducted during the 120th anniversary convention.
Nominees must have made his or her journalistic reputation in Mississippi or have been a leader in the field of journalism who is a native Mississippian. They must have been involved with the field for at least 10 years and may be living or deceased.
Each member newspaper is allowed up to two nominations per year. The selection of honorees is made by committee each spring. Beginning in 2005, the committee is comprised of the current MPA president, two recent past presidents and two previous recipients.
1986
James Duncan "Jimmy" Arrington Sr. (1908-1957)
Hodding Carter Jr. (1907-1972)
Turner Catledge (1907-1972)
J. Oliver Emmerich Sr. (1886-1978)
Delmus C. Harden (1911-1977)
William Henry Harris Sr. (1925-1975)
George McLean (1904-1983)
Paul Pittman (1931-1983)
Dr. Samuel S. Talbert (1917-1972)
1987
Joseph F. Ellis Jr. (1921-1997)
George H. Keith (1925-1994)
Clifton L. Langford (1908-1972)
Hazel Brannon Smith (1914-1994)
1988
Leonard Lowery (1921-1982)
Harry Rutherford (1914-1977)
Lester L. Williams (1902-1976)
1989
Louis P. Cashman Sr. (1886-1961)
Hal C. DeCell (1924-1988)
William Ormsby Rutledge Jr. (1910-1989)
1990
Edgar G. Harris (1876-1953)
W.C. "Dub" Shoemaker (1931-2019)
1991
Henry F. Meyer (1912-2000)
Wilson F. "Bill" Minor (1923-2017)
Lawrence Waring (1920-1999)
1992
Charles Butler Gordon (1909-1982)
O.C. McDavid (1911-1998)
Robert P. McHugh (1917-1998)
1993
Ira Harkey Sr. (1918-2007)
Purser Hewitt (1906-1986)
James H. Skewes (1888-1958)
1994
Alyne Carter Rogers Arrington (1911-1988)
Erle Johnston (1917-1995)
John South Lewis (1914-2003)
1995
Phillip Earl "Moon" Mullen (1913-1986)
1996
S. Gale Denley (1936-2008)
John O. Emmerich Jr. (1929-1995)
1997
Norman A. Mott Jr. (1924-2019)
1998
Dr. Frank Buckley (1914-1998)
Ellis Cuevas (1934-2021)
1999
Felix LaBauve (1909-1879)
Charles M. Dunagin
Jack L. Tannehill (1913-1968)
2000
Ronald Harrist (1943-2020)
Jesse P. Phillips (1932-2016)
William Raspberry (1935-2012)
2001
Charles Overby
Sid Salter
2002
Louis P. Cashman Jr. (1916-1987)
Gene McDavid (1930-2018)
2003
Norman Van Liew
2005
Mildred Dearman (1923-2009)
Stanley Dearman (1932-2017)
2006
Dan Phillips (1957-2005)
2007
Rubye Del Harden
2008
Edgar T. Crisler (1935-1997)
Murphy Weir (1909-1978)
2009
Jim Abbott
2011
Louis P. "Pat" Cashman III
2012
David Hampton
Patsy Speights (1945-2015)
2013
Norma Lee Fields (1923-2010)
2016
Stan Tiner
2017
2019
W. Harvey Hurt Jr. (1911-1990)
James R. "Randy" Ponder
2021
2022
Lisa Denley McNeece (1960-2018)
2023
Anita Lee
2024
Rick Cleveland
*Inductions were not made in 2004, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2018, or 2020.