Joe McLaughlin (sportswriter)

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For the Scottish footballer, see Joe McLaughlin (footballer)

Joe McLaughlin, born Joseph Carroll McLaughlin, (April 17, 1934 — November 25, 1997) was one of Texas’ most well-known and respected professional sportswriters of the late 20th century. According to the Houston Chronicle, McLaughlin was considered “one of the true newspaper legends of the Southwest Conference,” his name synonymous with professional and college sports in Texas during the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s.

McLaughlin’s success as a journalist led to a widely read column called “Mac’s Facts,” which appeared in the Houston Chronicle. His work, a relative time machine of sports in Texas, has been sought after by the Southwest Special Collections Library and Museum at Texas Tech University. His stories are recognized as a Who’s Who of athletes, from Olympians to World Heavyweight Boxing Champions, many of whom trace their rise to fame over the decades through Joe’s stories. In addition, because of his outstanding contributions to the athletic program at Rice University, in 1998, Rice University Athletic Director Bobby May dedicated a memorial to McLaughlin in the University’s library.

McLaughlin began his career at the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal in the 1950’s. This was followed by stints at the Abilene Reporter-News and the Fort Worth Star Telegram. By the mid 1960’s, McLaughlin had begun what would be the first of 26 years at the Houston Chronicle as a writer and editor. While covering professional boxing, McLaughlin interviewed a rising star named Cassius Clay, who would later become known as Muhammad Ali and be counted amongst the numerous athletes McLaughlin had covered who would grow to be friends.

McLaughlin soon began covering Rice University and the University of Houston athletic programs. Among the highlights was following the Houston basketball program during the 1982-1984 seasons as they became known as “Phi Slamma Jamma.” The Dream Team included Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon as they led Houston Cougars to two back to back NCAA Championship appearances.

After retiring from the Chronicle in 1990, McLaughlin and his wife Al-Rue moved to Sattler, Texas, near San Antonio. His daughter, Prebble McLaughlin, followed in his footsteps, working as a part-time writer and swimming coach after ending her own swimming career. Prebble later began acting and working as a radio personality. Despite his attempt to retire, McLaughlin found that he missed the newspaper business and decided to return, working for the San Antonio Express-News until his death from cancer on November 25, 1997.

Though his career enabled him to be on a first-name basis with some of the biggest names in American sports, Joe always remained true to his humble beginnings in Madill, Oklahoma and his Chickasaw Indian roots. Joe loved to talk about his Chickasaw heritage, to the extent that even co-workers could recite some of his favorite childhood stories about his proud Chickasaw family. Before he fell ill, he was most anxious to visit a museum in Tishomingo where a quilt bearing squares with names of his Chickasaw relatives was being displayed as part of a Chickasaw exhibit.

McLaughlin’s wife, Al-Rue, now resides in Houston. His daughter, Prebble, is married with a daughter, Briar, and is now living in northern Virginia.