Nelson Clyde, III

Calvin Nelson Clyde, III (November 1, 1945 – August 29, 2007), was the fourth-generation publisher of the Tyler Morning Telegraph newspaper in Tyler. The business, established by Clyde's great-grandfather, has been family operated since 1910.

Early life

Clyde was born in Tyler to Calvin N. Clyde, Jr. (1921-2013), and the former Patsy Elizabeth Kittrell (1921-2012). He attended public schools and graduated in 1963 from Robert E. Lee High School in Tyler. He procured a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and journalism in 1966 from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. He was employed by the Amarillo Globe-News from 1966 to 1968, when he joined the staff of the La Porte-Baytown Sun near Houston.

Career

In 1969, Clyde returned to Tyler and worked in circulation, advertising, production, and purchasing for The Morning Telegraph. On July 20, 1980, he was named editor of the paper, a position that he held until December 18, 1990, when he was elevated to publisher.

Over the years, Clyde won many honors, including the 2002 Martin Luther King Award for Non-Violent Change from the Tyler Ministerial Alliance. In 2005, the Morning Telegraph won the Texas Family Business of the Year Award from Baylor University in Waco. Clyde was also a past member and director of the Texas Daily Newspaper Association. In 2006, he received th TDNA's Frank W. Mayborn Award for Community Leadership. The award, named for the late publisher of the Temple Daily Telegram, is given to a publisher or newspaper executive whose contributions to society and leadership in the community have impacted the newspaper business.

Clyde was also affiliated with American Red Cross, Chamber of Commerce, Ducks Unlimited, and the Eisenhower International Golf Classic. Clyde served as president of the board of the Discovery Science Place, a Tyler children's museum that opened in 1993. He was also president of the T.B. Butler Foundation.

Death

Clyde died in a Dallas hospital after a lengthy illness. He and his wife, the former Sharon Ann "Sherry" Ferrell, had three sons, Nelson Clyde, IV, Andrew Ferrell Clyde, and John Kittrell Clyde; a daughter, Anna Clyde Malone, and seven grandchildren. He had a surviving brother, Thomas Clyde and two sisters, Carole Clyde Wilson and Eloise Clyde Chandler.

Clyde was a member of the non-denominational Grace Community Church. Memorial services were held at the Marvin United Methodist Church in Tyler after private interment.

Nelson Clyde, IV, who succeeded his father as the publisher of the Morning Telegraph, said that the family and organization "mourn the loss of our leader. My father was a man who demonstrated his many character qualities in a quiet but significant way." Jim Giametta, the Morning Telegraph executive editor, said that Clyde's "love for Tyler and the East Texas region was exemplified every day with each edition focusing on making his hometown a better place." Rodney H. Mabry, president of the University of Texas at Tyler, praised Clyde's commitment to the university's mission of providing quality education to Tyler area young people.

News of Clyde's death was carried in dozens of newspapers across the United States.

References

"Tyler newspaper publisher dies at 61", August 30, 2007: deaths/5094486.html