Joe McLaughlin (sportswriter)

Joe McLaughlin, born Joseph Carroll McLaughlin, (April 17, 1934 – November 25, 1997) was one of Texas' most well-known and respected professional sportswriters of the late 20th century. According to the Houston Chronicle, McLaughlin was considered "one of the true newspaper legends of the Southwest Conference," his name synonymous with high school, professional and college sports in Texas during the 1960s, 1970's and 1980's.^[1]

McLaughlin on SWC Press Tour

McLaughlin and Wilfred Benitez

SWC Press

McLaughlin with Jess Neely and Bill Whitmore

McLaughlin's success as a reporter out of Texas Tech University and the "Lubbock Avalanche-Journal" led to a widely read column called "Mac's Facts," which appeared in the Abilene Reporter News in the late '50s and early '60s.

McLaughlin was regularly sought out for expert commentary on television and radio, and has been cited/referenced in and edited innumerable books, magazines and articles. His work, a relative time machine of sports in Texas, has been sought after by the Southwest Special Collections Library and Museum at Texas Tech University. His stories are recognized as a Who's Who of athletes, from Olympians to World Boxing Champions, including Wilfred Benitez, Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Termite Watkins, Dave "Ziggy" Zyglewicz, many of whom trace their rise to fame over the decades through Joe's stories.^[2]

McLaughlin began his career at the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal in the 1950s. This was followed by stints at the Abilene Reporter-News^[3] and the Fort Worth Star Telegram. By the mid-1960s, McLaughlin had begun what would be the first of 26 years at the Houston Chronicle as a writer and editor. While covering professional boxing,^[4] McLaughlin interviewed a rising star named Cassius Clay, who later became known as Muhammad Ali and be counted amongst the numerous athletes McLaughlin had covered who would grow to be friends.^[5]

McLaughlin's wife, Al-Rue, died in 2011 in Florida. Daughter, Prebble, is married with a daughter, Briar, and lives in Destin, Florida.

References and notes