Excellent History Feature on Neal Spelce in the February 5, 2022 Austin American Statesman, interview with Michael Barnes.
From the San Marcos Daily Record:
Renowned Texas newsman and author Neal Spelce will highlight the LBJ Museum’s Spring Lecture.
The museum recently announced its feature speaker for its annual lecture, which is set to take place Wednesday, Feb. 23. The event will open with a reception at 6 p.m. followed by the lecture at 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, the museum said.
“Our lecture will be February 23rd and will feature renowned Texas newsman and author of With the Bark Off: A Journalist’s Memories of LBJ and a Life in the News Media, Neal Spelce, he should be wonderful,” Wayne Kraemer, LBJ Museum Board of Directors President, said during the museum’s 15th anniversary gala on Jan. 22.
As an award-winning political journalist, Spelce covered presidents from Harry Truman to George W. Bush. The museum, however, said his most famous association was with President Lyndon B. Johnson. Spelce’s book “With the Bark Off, A Journalist’s Memories of LBJ and a Life in the News Media,” highlights his experiences with LBJ and other moments from his career in journalism.
During his 60-year-career, Spelce worked in radio, television, journalism, marketing, advertising, public relations, broadcast program syndication, public speaking and consulting. Spelce served as Senior Advisor to U.S. Sen. John McCain during his 2008 presidential campaign. Additionally, Spelce served as a communications consultant to Texas Gov. Ann Richards and New York Gov. Mario Cuomo.
Spelce was also CEO of a company that created, produced, and syndicated An American Moment with Charles Kuralt and An American Moment with James Earl Jones — internationally-acclaimed TV news programs that were featured in more than 100 U.S. markets.
Spelce has received top award for radio news reporting from the national Society of Professional Journalists and the National Headliners Club’s highest award for “consistently outstanding television news coverage in the United States.” The museum said he’s been “cited for his bravery, and for saving countless lives, while reporting under fire, and in real-time,” the University of Texas tower shooting that left 15 people dead and wounded 31 others.
Spelce holds three communications degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. He was named an Outstanding Alumnus of UT’s Moody College of Communication. Spelce was also honored when the college of communication permanently named The Neal Spelce Broadcast Journalism Studio in his honor.
The LBJ Museum said its spring lecture is free and open to the public. The museum, however, is asking that all attendees sign up for the event either by calling the museum at 512-353-3300, emailing director@lbjmuseum.com or visiting the museum’s website at https://lbjmuseum.com/events/
Read the entire article here: