An annual scholarship is being established by Friends of the Daily Texan, Inc. to honor respected Texas journalist Dave McNeely, who died Aug. 30.

The intent is to raise at least $25,000 to establish an endowment in McNeely’s name to guarantee a perpetual scholarship, presented each year to a Daily Texan staffer by Friends of The Daily Texan Inc.

The Friends group will start the fund-raising effort by pledging a $5,000 donation to the endowment on Dave’s behalf.

Donations may be made at https://friendsdailytexan.wildapricot.org/donate or by mail at Friends of The Daily Texan, c/o John Reetz, 1655 Chevron Way, Atlanta, Ga. 30350.

The Friends group is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

McNeely began reporting on Texas politics and government in 1962 as a political reporter and later editor of The Daily Texan at UT.

In the years since, with breaks for a Congressional Fellowship in Washington and a Nieman Fellowship for journalists at Harvard, he 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 continued to write a weekly column for several other Texas newspapers.

McNeely holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s degree in government, both from The University of Texas at Austin. McNeely’s master’s thesis in government was on the 1964 U.S. Senate race that George Bush lost to Sen. Ralph W. Yarborough. McNeely first interviewed George W. Bush in 1978, when Bush was running for Congress.

An expert on Texas politics when he joined the Austin American-Statesman in 1978, McNeely eventually became  the dean of the Texas Capitol press corps.

McNeely co-taught a course at The University of Texas on “The Press and Politics” — first with Paul Begala, a consultant who with James Carville ran Bill Clinton’s 1992 race, and then with Karl Rove, chief political adviser to George W. Bush as governor, and later as President. McNeely more recently has taught the course by himself.

McNeely co-authored with Jim Henderson a book entitled “Bob Bullock: God Bless Texas” about the most powerful lieutenant governor in Texas history. It was published by the University of Texas Press in 2008.

ADDITIONAL OBITUARY INFORMATION BELOW

David Michael McNeely — Dave — a columnist, reporter and author best known for his decades of coverage and deep historical knowledge of Texas politics and government, died on August 30, 2025, in Austin. He was 85.

Dave covered his first Texas legislative session in 1963 as a reporter for The Daily Texan, the student newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin. Later that year, he became editor of the Texan, starting a long and deep career chronicling state politics, policy and government.

His journalism career included stops at the Houston Chronicle (where he picked up the nickname “Moose” that his oldest friends still use), The Washington Post, the Dallas Morning News, KERA-Dallas,and the Austin American-Statesman — the paper where he spent more than a quarter century building his reputation and a large audience as a reporter, state editor, public TV interviewer and pundit and most notably, as a political columnist. He began his tenure at the Statesman as a general assignments reporter in 1978 and quickly became chief of the paper’s Capitol Bureau the following year. After retiring from the Statesman in 2004, he continued to write syndicated columns for another 15 years for a number of Texas papers.

He covered legislative sessions, elections, politicians,and other colorful characters for nearly 60 years, never losing his fascination, curiosity or joy in reporting and writing about their elections, debates, successes, failures and assorted exploits and misadventures.

He spent most of 1976 as a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. Years later he and another fellow journalist, Jim Henderson, co-wrote Bob Bullock: God Bless Texas, a biography of the somewhat outrageous and famously influential giant of Texas government. And he had a brief sojourn into political consulting, working on John Hill’s 1968 Democratic primary campaign for governor (Hill finished sixth).

While working as a columnist, McNeely co-taught a course on politics and journalism at UT-Austin, first with Paul Begala, a top campaign adviser to Bill Clinton, and then with Karl Rove, who did similar work for George W. Bush’s gubernatorial and presidential campaigns.

He was what Malcolm Gladwell would call a “connector,” a person who compulsively introduced his legions of friends and acquaintances to each other, illuminating the lives of all in his orbit. He selflessly mentored younger journalists and enjoyed their success.

In 1998, Dave helped start the Carole Kneeland Project, based on a concept he and his wife Carole and friends developed during the last months of her life. That thriving nonprofit has trained more than 850 broadcast journalists from around the U.S. in news ethics, writing, decision-making, management and leadership.

Dave lived with energy and enthusiasm for outdoor challenges, music and embracing new friends. He was an accomplished bass player, as anyone who attended the annual Bob Armstrong Family Campout well knows. For decades, most days he could be found on Lady Bird Lake with friends, jogging at noon or after work or rowing before sunrise. He launched countless canoe and camping trips with family and friends.

He was an active member of University United Methodist Church and the Explorer’s Class, co-founding the Zavala Circle of Friends which continues to provide support to the staff and families of Title 1 Zavala Elementary School. Dave met weekly with his dear friends in the men’s Emmaus Reunion Group for over 30 years.

For years, he and Kathryn created precious family memories with their children and grandchildren at their home in Port Aransas, once adopting an abandoned white lab covered in sand who they appropriately named “Sugar Cookie.” He looked for and found joy wherever he went.

Dave was born June 12, 1940, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, to John and Lillian McNeely, sandwiched between an older brother, Jack, and a younger sister, Mary. He graduated from College Station’s A&M Consolidated High School in 1958 and embarked for college at UT-Austin — even though his father was a professor at Texas A&M University — where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and government.

Dave is survived by his wife, Kathryn, a United Methodist pastor; two daughters from his first marriage to Saundra Lee Inman, Michelle McNeely Mueller and Candace “Mariposa” McGriffy (Kris Allen); and Kathryn’s three children, Adam Longley (Ana), Bill Longley (Meagan) and Grace Ann Fox (Sean). He is also survived by his siblings, Jack McNeely and Mary Powell. Their big, blended family includes grandchildren, Katie Garoni (Kyle), Carl McNeely Mueller (Ellen), Jenny Sealy (George V), Aster McGriffy, Lyle and Gwynna Longley, Evelyn and Peter Longley, Joe, Ethan and Patrick Fox and 5 great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions to the Open Door Ministry at University United Methodist Church, the Carole Kneeland Project and the annual scholarship fund being established in his name by Friends of the Daily Texan would be greatly appreciated.

A memorial service will be held to celebrate Dave’s life at University United Methodist Church on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 2 p.m. followed by a reception.