About Douglas Ann Newsom, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA
The Greater Fort Worth Chapter of PRSA mourns the death of Douglas Ann Newsom, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, who passed away on May 24, 2021 after a long illness.
Many who only knew the name Doug Newsom were surprised when they found that “Doug” was not always a man’s name. In this case, it was the name of not just a woman, but a “petite dynamo” who opened doors to high-ranking positions for other female public relations professionals.
Doug advanced the profession of public relations and its positive visibility in ways that few others have. From her earliest days in the business, her tenacity, professionalism and strict adherence to public relations ethics served as a model for others in the profession and those who hired her. Doug educated and mentored dozens of public relations professionals who went on to become leaders in PRSA and in the industry throughout the country.
She earned her bachelor’s degrees and master’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. After graduation, she soon began doing publicity work for groups in North Texas. She started teaching as an adjunct at TCU in 1968, when she was still working full-time in public relations. After earning her doctorate from the University of Texas in Austin, she became a full-time professor at TCU in 1982.
A long-time Texas Public Relations Association member, past president and charter life member of the Public Relations Foundation, Dr. Newsom was an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), a founding member of the Greater Fort Worth Chapter, a member of the PRSA College of Fellows as well as the namesake of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Chapter at TCU. She was co-author of three public relations textbooks, co-editor of a women’s studies book and author of many book chapters.
Douglas Ann Newsom PRSA Professional of the Year Award
In 2019, the Fort Worth Chapter introduced the Douglas Ann Newsom PRSA Professional of the Year Award. The annual honor recognized a public relations or communications professional in the North Texas Region who has contributed to the advancement of public relations. The 2021 nomination will open in late Summer.
Visitation and Donations
Visitation will be from 2-4 p.m., Sunday, May 30, 2021: Thompson’s Harveson & Cole, 4350 River Oaks Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76114; (817) 336-0345. The family is requesting donations to her scholarship fund at TCU, the Douglas Ann Newsom Endowed Scholarship. Click “add gift” and add her name and scholarship fund to the notes section.
Share How Dr. Newsom Made an Impact
The Chapter invites you to share a memory or story about Doug in the comments below.
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She’ll always be “The Legendary Doug Newsom” to me. It has been more than a decade since Doug was active in GFWPRSA, so some of our younger members may not be familiar with her career. The chapter successfully nominated her for the Gold Anvil Award in 2016, PRSA’s highest individual honor, which was celebrated at the annual conference by her many friends and colleagues – the beneficiaries of her guidance, advocacy and leadership. Anyone involved in PRSA, especially at the national level knew or knew of Doug and would regularly be asked “Do you know Doug Newsom?” at conferences or meetings. I’m grateful that, yes, I knew The Legendary Doug Newsom.