Inducted July 9, 2021
Jack Rhea Tannehill is the retired owner, publisher and editor of The Union Appeal—later the Newton County Appeal. He is a past president of the Mississippi Press Association and served on the Board during a period of rapid change and growth for the organization.
His father, Jack L. Tannehill, also a Hall of Fame honoree, purchased the newspaper in 1967. Following his death only a year later, the elder Tannehill was succeeded by his son, who worked more than 40 years as a community newspaper editor and publisher.
“Jack Rhea is eminently qualified and most deserving of this very high honor. As a second-generation newspaper publisher, he grew up in the newspaper publishing business,” said MPA Past President and fellow Hall of Famer Sid Salter, who nominated Tannehill. “But beyond that, Jack Rhea was an innovator in newspaper design and production, photography, ad sales and design, preprint insert design and sales, and publishing. He also exhibited courage in the way he covered controversial news and wrote timely editorial commentaries.”
Tannehill began his newspaper career at The Neshoba Democrat, where he wrote stories, took photos and became an expert in web offset printing. While attending the University of Mississippi, he worked for The Oxford Eagle.
He served for a decade on the MPA Board and was instrumental in the founding of Mississippi Press Services, Inc., in 1978. During his tenure on the Board, MPA also purchased its first office building in Jackson.
In February 2009, Tannehill founded The Newton Appeal after the closure of the town’s newspaper. He later merged the Union and Newton papers into the Newton County Appeal.
“He was an integral part of the community during his entire career,” said Salter. “He was involved in many clubs and organizations, coached youth basketball and baseball, and was always willing to help those less fortunate.”
After selling the newspaper in 2012, Tannehill retired and resides in Union with his wife, Judy.
