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Former KSPA Executive Director John Hudnall received the Carl Towley Award at the NSPA/JEA Fall Convention held Nov. 12-15, in Washington, D.C. According to the JEA website, this annual honor is given to one person whose work with scholastic journalism benefits student journalists across the nation.

Hudnall directed KSPA for 19 years and retired this summer.

Starting a Career

Forty-one years ago, Hudnall began his teaching career in Marshall, Mo., where he established the foundation for his profession.

“I consider teaching an art, and there’s some really bad teaching that goes on, but there’s also enough good,” Hudnall said. “I watch some bad teaching and I wonder ‘how do we ever wonder why kids can’t learn, if we teach so poorly’?.”

Hudnall honed his teaching skills from the beginning of his career by networking and working with experienced advisers throughout the country.

“I was very fortunate at the time when I came along, some of the big names were still big out there,” Hudnall said. “I kind of learned at the feet of the masters.”

Some of these masters include Chuck Savage, nicknamed “Mr. Yearbook”, and Alice James, who taught Hudnall a very important teaching lesson.

“I learned a lot about sensitivity from her (James),” Hudnall said. “You have to work with kids and you have to be demanding, but you also have to be sensitive to their needs. I learned that listening to her and watching her teach.”

Becoming a Jayhawk

After teaching in Blue Springs for three years and Omaha for 14 years, Hudnall got the opportunity to take his skills with high school journalism to the next level, by helping scholastic journalists throughout Kansas. That’s when he moved to Lawrence and began his career leading KSPA.

“I had sent a lot of kids to KU from (Omaha) Westside, and everybody that I ever sent here was more than satisfied with it,” Hudnall said. “So when this job opened up I thought ‘maybe it’s my turn to move out and see what it’s like’.”

During his 19 years as executive director, Hudnall expanded KSPA to include more high schools each year and made the organization truly reach across the state. He said his most important contribution to high school journalism in Kansas was helping to get the Kansas Student Publications Act passed into law.

“I’ve always been really concerned about student freedoms and student press rights,” Hudnall said.

Kansas’ law — just like those in six other states — sprung up as a reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1988 decision in Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, which essentially overturned an earlier decision and allowed school administrators to censor student journalists. Kansas law now allows administrators to restrain student publications only in cases where students choose to publish illegal speech, i.e. libel, obscenity, illegal invasion of privacy or something that would disrupt the educational process.

“I’m always quick to say that was not mine,” Hudnall said. “I was just the one that nurtured it along as we got to the end. I take no credit for it, because the groundwork had been laid, but I think that was a vital thing we did get accomplished as a state. It was timing, we happened to be at the right place at the right time and have the right governor.”

The Carl Towley Award

After stepping down as KSPA executive director last year, Hudnall’s colleagues wanted to try and honor him for all of the work he has accomplished by nominating him for the Carl Towley Award. Linda Drake, Chase County High School adviser and KSPA board member, put together the nomination.

“He was there for 19 years, and the improvement we made on our association brought it to the forefront as one of the top organizations in the nation,” Drake said. “He had a vision for us, he had the leadership, he brought so many different aspects to scholastic journalism that unified us and helped us grow as an organization.”

Lisa Crites, adviser at Claflin High School and KSPA Past President, has worked closely with Hudnall throughout her work with KSPA, and also agreed Hudnall was more than qualified for this award.

“KSPA grew into one of the nation’s premier scholastic press associations and is among the leaders across the nation in scholastic press issues, due in large part to the influence of John as our leader,” Crites said.

Crites said Hudnall receiving an award from the National Scholastic Press Association is fitting since he has impacted student journalism nationwide.

“John has created a huge network of colleagues throughout the state and nation, so he has truly represented Kansas far and near,” Crites said. “He is a very effective speaker and presenter, and he is so good at interjecting humor into his presentations that he keeps students interested and also keyed in to what he is saying.”

Hudnall’s reaction to his winning of the award was appreciation and disbelief.

“I never thought I’d get that award, quite honestly,” Hudnall said. “When I look at the list of people who have gotten it, I am extremely humbled. It’s nice to be thought that highly of by your peers, it’s certainly an honor.”