Gene McDavid, former Houston Chronicle executive and longtime friend of the University of Houston, passed away this month.

George Eugene McDavid (1930-2018) was a “lifelong newspaperman.” The Mississippi native moved to Houston with his family in 1958. He attended the University of Houston while working at the Chronicle, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration. In 1997, McDavid received the UH Distinguished Alumni Award, and in 1998, was appointed to the Board of Regents of the University of Houston System.

“Gene McDavid made innumerable contributions to the University of Houston Libraries for the benefit of our students,” said Lisa German, dean of UH Libraries and Elizabeth D. Rockwell chair. “His advocacy for the renovation of the MD Anderson Library was appreciated by all of us here. He will be missed very much.”

View a clip from an oral history exploring the life and career of Gene McDavid.