Dave McNeely

Died Aug. 30,2025

Austin, Texas

Dave McNeely, a former editor of The Daily Texan and  a respected Texas journalist for decades, died Aug.  30 at the age of 85.

“I loved Dave like a brother,” said longtime friend and fellow journalist and educator Rusty Todd, describing McNeely as a tenacious reporter, with an “instant network” of sources.

McNeely was a member of The Daily Texan Hall of Fame and served on the board of directors of Friends of The Daily Texan, Inc. for six years.

Born June 12, 1940, McNeely began his journalistic journey as a political reporter and editor for The Daily Texan, the student newspaper at the University of Texas at Austin.

As editor of The Daily Texan, he had the dual role as “Dad.” His first wife, Saundra Lee McNeely (née Inman) was by his side and taking care of his daughters while he was on The Daily Texan. But, daughter Mariposa McGriffy recounts his double job:  as editor and Dad: “Every once in awhile, he had baby duty overlapping with Daily Texan duties. He used a file drawer as a makeshift crib for his baby girl.”

Dave McNeely began reporting on Texas politics and government in 1962, as a political reporter and later editor of The Daily Texan at UT. He was editor of The Daily Texan when President Kenendy was shot, and ordered a special edition that day to cover the story.

In the years since, with breaks for a Congressional Fellowship in Washington, and a Nieman Fellowship for journalists at Harvard, he has covered most legislative sessions and Texas elections. After working got the Houston Chronicle, the Dallas News, and KERA public radio and television in Dallas, for more than 26 years he wrote a column on Texas politics and government for the Austin American-Statesman. He retired from the American-Statesman at the end of 2004, but continuesd for years to write a weekly column for several other Texas newspapers.

He covered his first Texas legislative session in 1963. Over the next six decades, he became a fixture at the Texas Capitol, attending more legislative sessions than even the longest-serving legislators.

McNeely joined the American-Statesman in 1978, where he distinguished himself as both a political reporter and editor, and an incisive columnist whose encyclopedic knowledge of state government earned him the admiration of peers and politicians alike.

McNeely “was a mentor to me and everyone,” said longtime Texas journalist Ross Ramsey, now a speaker and consultant. “He was competitive like any journalist but would give a competitor a lift up.”

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson recalled meeting McNeely in the 1980s when he was a political reporter covering a lawsuit over congressional redistricting and Watson was “a 23-year-old kid fresh out of law school.”

Eventually they became running buddies. As they trotted around Lady Bird Lake, then known as Town Lake, they’d trade stories and insights over whatever issue was dominating headlines, Watson said. Sometimes they’d agree, sometimes not.

“If you disagreed with McNeely, you’d better be minding your business because he was always well researched,” Watson said, noting that one of the highlights of running the trails with McNeely was that he always packed an ice chest of beer for afterward.

“That’s how you ran with McNeely; you finished it off with an ice cold beer,” Watson said. “I’m just broken-hearted by this news.”

Former Statesman editor Rich Oppel said that when he arrived at the newspaper in 1995, McNeely “was a force—a big, generous, warm-spirited man.” His nickname at the time was “Moose.”

“Dave got the story first, had great sources, and translated the inscrutable ways of Texas politicians into readable copy,” Oppel said.

A noted educator as well as a journalist, McNeely co-taught “The Press and Politics” at UT alongside both Paul Begala and Karl Rove, offering students firsthand insights from across the political spectrum. He also held a Congressional Fellowship in Washington and was awarded a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard, enhancing his journalistic credentials in national policy and governmental affairs.

Beyond his reporting, McNeely co-authored “Bob Bullock: God Bless Texas” with Jim Henderson, a biography of the late lieutenant governor that reflected his deep understanding of the state’s political culture.

“Bullock called me more than once to complain about McNeely’s column, calls that always brought a smile to my face,” Oppel said.

In addition to his first wife Saundra, McNeely was married to Carole Kneeland, an award-winning TV news reporter and news director, until her death from breast cancer in 1998. He later married Kathryn Terwey Longley, with whom he shared a life rich in family and civic engagement. They were married for 22 years.

Upon his retirement in 2004, McNeely continued writing a syndicated political column for Texas newspapers, remaining an enduring voice of clarity and integrity in state politics.

McNeely leaves behind a legacy defined by journalistic rigor, thoughtful commentary and mentorship to generations of students and reporters. He will be remembered as the “dean of the Texas Capitol press corps,” a title reflecting both his longevity and his unparalleled expertise.