Registration is now open for the April 17 Daily Texan Hall of Fame gathering, which will include a celebration of 8 new members of the hall of fame and 3 Rising Star award winners.
The event, sponsored by Friends of The Daily Texan, Inc., recognizes Texan alumni who have had distinguished careers and individuals who have been steadfast supporters of The Daily Texan.
The gathering will Friday, April 17, 2026 in the Walter Cronkite Plaza and adjacent auditorium, 2504 Whitis Ave. on the UT campus.
Please watch this website in coming days for individual bios and articles about each of the honorees.
Registration is now open at:
https://friendsdailytexan.wildapricot.org/event-6522425
A variety of ticket prices are available.
Sponsorship options are priced at $1,750, $2,500 and $5,000. Each sponsorship bundle comes with tickets for up to 8 attendees in a close-in reserved seating area, plus recognition at the event and marketing efforts before and after the event.
“Sponsorships were added last year after the Friends board decided to change location of the event, based on feedback from attendees. When the option opened up to hold a casual outdoor reception prior to the event, then move to an auditorium with comfortable seating, we took it, and response has been very favorable,” said John Reetz, president of Friends of The Daily Texan. “The tradeoff is with the move we lost the option to sell tables, a key part of our revenue.”
“Sponsorships allow us to offer a dedicated spot for you to sit with friends, and also to show your strong support for Texan and its journalists,” Reetz said. “And, honestly, to allow this event to make a profit to support our efforts for The Texan.”
Please message [email protected] if interested in a sponsorship.
An FYI that all honorees and a guest, plus Texan staffers and Moody College of Communication and Texas Student Media attendees come as our guests, recognizing their contribution to The Texan each year.
In addition to Hall of Fame honorees, scholarship grants from the Friends group and donors will be presented to 16 Daily Texan staffers, and current Daily Texan editors will update us on what’s happening in the newsroom.
This year $27,250 will be presented to 16 grant winners, three more than received funding last year. Since 2018, 65 Texan staffers have received annual scholarship grants, totaling $115,000.
The event begins with a reception/meal from 5-6:45 p.m., when you can catch up with your friends and colleagues, and meet other Daily Texan alums at an an outdoor reception on the Walter Cronkite Plaza, located between the Texas Student Media building and the Moody College of Communication complex. There will be a variety of food and beverage stations.
The adjacent Daily Texan newsroom will available for tours at 4 p.m. and will remain open to any attendees up until the start of the formal program.
The reception ends at 6:45 p.m., and then moves to a comfortable Moody auditorium for Hall of Fame inductions and awarding of scholarships to Daily Texan staff members. Presentations of Hall of Fame and scholarship winners will start at 7:15 p.m. in the adjacent auditorium and end at 9:30 p.m.
Please join us and visit with friends and colleagues; the evening will renew your faith in journalism, both today and for tomorrow.
About Friends of The Daily Texan:
Friends of The Daily Texan, Inc. is a non-profit organization established to lend support and assistance to The Daily Texan, an institution at the University of Texas at Austin since 1900. Members include alumni of The Texan, plus other supporters of a free and unfettered student media at UT. The group sponsors 13 annual scholarships for Texan staffers, plus provides funds to purchase needed video and photo equipment, to support digital transition efforts by The Texan, for training, coverage, travel and other needs identified by Texan editors.