Remembering Reba Campbell, a pioneer of female journalism

Reba Campbell occupies a special place in Texas journalism as part of the vanguard of women who broke barriers in news reporting in the post-World War II era. She believed that women could cover hard news and shouldn't be confined to the "society" or "women's news" pages as those sections were commonly called then. Women in the larger markets of Houston and Dallas were breaking out of the traditions at the same time and received wider notice. But Reba, quietly and efficiently after graduating from Baylor in 1947, went to work at the Waco Tribune-Herald and began covering news stories and writing features. She also was a Central Texas correspondent for United Press International and covered a journey through the state by President Dwight Eisenhower.

She was born Reba Lou Weaver in Navasota, Texas, in 1924. Her death, on Jan. 5 at age 95, came after several years of declining health. There were immediate tributes and memories of her accomplishments from many journalists as well as her husband, the legendary sports writer and founder of Texas Football Dave Campbell, to whom she was married 70 years. Reba and Dave Campbell met while both worked at the Waco newspaper. They married in 1950, the same year Dave graduated from Baylor after returning from military duty in Europe in World War II.