October 29, 1911

Ernie Deane was born in Lewisville (Lafayette County). Deane—journalist, teacher, historian, and folklorist—was best known for his newspaper columns “The Arkansas Traveler” and “Ozarks Country.” He taught journalism at the University of Arkansas (UA) in Fayetteville (Washington County) and was a proponent of restoring Old Main to its historical character at the UA campus. Deane often said to his students, “I was trained in the old journalistic school of striving for accuracy, clarity, honesty, courage, fairness, completeness, and timeliness.” The Ernie Deane Award is presented annually for the journalist or writer whose work “best exemplifies the spirit, style, and courage of Ernie Deane.”