By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11
David McCollum and Richard Colthorp, publisher of the Las Cruces Bulletin, at the 112th NMPA Convention.
“I would have made this shorter, but I didn’t have the time”
This highly debated quote has been attributed to many great writers throughout history—Mark Twain, Henry David Thoreau, and Woodrow Wilson among them. This quote was shared with me by David McCollum, Oklahoma State ’66. The sole inductee to the New Mexico Press Association Hall of Fame during its 112th convention, McCollum was honored with a standing ovation, befitting his storied career in the newspaper industry.
McCollum’s career dates back to 1958, while in fifth grade he would write stories for his hometown paper, The Shidler Review. Retaining this passion throughout his youth, McCollum began his education at Oklahoma State University, majoring in journalism and psychology with the dream of writing for Sports Illustrated. Working throughout the entirety of his college education, McCollum held positions delivering pizza and papers, on the newspaper and yearbook staff, and as the head of advertising for the university’s alumni magazine. During his junior year, McCollum was set to take a sports writing internship in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, but upon arrival realized that the position had been mistakenly double booked. Undeterred, McCollum secured a position in the advertising department of the paper, which just happened to pay twenty dollars more per week plus commission. When asked to reflect upon his time at OSU and within Phi Tau, McCollum’s favorite memory was an obvious one—meeting his wife, Jaki. In 1968 Jaki would become the Phi Tau Dream Girl for the Beta Kappa chapter, today the couple has been married for over 50 years and have three children, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
David and Jaki McCollum (1968)
Following graduation, like many other men of his time, McCollum began his military service with the Kansas National Guard as a writer and photographer. In 1971, McCollum joined the Daily Oklahoman’s advertising department, helping grow the paper for the next ten years. During this time, he was commissioned as a public affairs officer for the Navy Reserve—achieving the rank of Lieutenant Commander. The coming decades would see a variety of positions throughout the newspaper industry and include relocations to New Mexico, Texas, and Pennsylvania. Returning to New Mexico, McCollum and his wife Jaki purchased the Las Cruces Bulletin in 2003; with this purchase came the founding of FIG Publications LLC. Under their ownership, the struggling paper transformed into a hub for Las Cruces business news. McCollum used decades of experience and know-how to grow their readership from 5,000 to 70,000 per issue. In 2009, in hopes of saving another paper from certain demise, the heroes of the Las Cruces Bulletin purchased the Rio Rancho Observer. Still in existence today, The Observer was sold by David and Jaki McCollum in 2012. For the next four years McCollum would serve as the deputy athletics director for New Mexico State University.
As an undergraduate, McCollum stated that he was inspired and envious of brothers who found the time to hold leadership positions within the fraternity. Holding this admiration throughout his life, McCollum seized the opportunity to serve as the National Leadership Advisory for former National President, Mike Dovilla, Baldwin Wallace ’94, from 2016-2018. Through organizing reunions for Phi Tau’s of his time and working hard to ensure the success of the Beta Kappa chapter at OSU, McCollum remains committed to our organization.