2000 Inductees

Brandt Ayers

His grandfather started the paper; his father, Harry Mell Ayers, affectionately known as the Colonel, made it a staple of regional culture by bringing the world to Anniston. But the most valuable legacy passed along to Brandt Ayers, editor and publisher of The Anniston Star, may well be the paper’s philosophy: "To afflict the comfortable and to comfort the afflicted." (more)

Bert Bank

Behind Bert Bank’s many accomplishments and honors is a commitment to service. (more)

James Buford Boone, Jr.

James Buford Boone Jr. is chairman of the board and a director of Boone Newspapers Inc., which owns and manages newspapers and shopping guides in Alabama, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia. (more)

Emory Cunningham

Emory Cunningham often said the secret of his success was treating readers like neighbors. (more)

Barrett C. Shelton, Jr.

The Decatur Daily. The very name implies a contract with its readers, a guarantee of reliability and consistency. And one constant in the family behind this paper is visionary leadership. (more)

Julius E. Talton

Julius E. Talton is a visionary broadcaster and telecommunications entrepreneur and an exceedingly generous citizen of his community and state. (more)