Clyde Lowery, a former director of Arizona Student Publications at the UA, passed away around midnight on Sunday. He died from Parkinson’s disease at age 85.

He was director from 1973-89 and again in 1992. According to Mark Woodhams, the current director of Arizona Student Media — formerly known as Student Publications — during Lowery’s tenure the Daily Wildcat became financially independent and he helped usher in the computer age.

In 2001, the Daily Wildcat established the Clyde Lowery Award for Professionalism and Integrity, which is awarded annually to someone on the newspaper staff.

He is survived by his wife Dorothy and his son Brad.

Lowery was born in March 7, 1925. He served in the military from 1942-45 in World War II.

He graduated from the UA in 1950 under the GI Bill.

Lowery worked as reporter in Durango, Colo., for three years before returning to Tucson.

He worked for the now-defunct Tucson Citizen as a copy editor for a year in 1954.

Lowery briefly worked at The Arizona Republic, but then returned to the Citizen. 

Tom Duddleston, a former assistant managing editor at the Citizen and a friend of Lowery’s for nearly 50 years, said, “”In his final position as an editor, Clyde worked hard to be fair to all aspects of the community and especially the underprivileged.”” Duddleston added that he was a superb newspaperman.

George Rosenberg, a former managing editor of the Citizen, worked with Lowery in the ‘60s when he was the assistant managing editor.

“”We worked well together … we were proud of what we put out,”” Rosenberg said.

Rosenberg said the Citizen used to have a larger circulation than the Arizona Daily Star and he and Lowery used to think the paper was better not only because of the circulation, but also the content. 

Tony Tselentis, a former editor of the Citizen and also a friend of Lowery’s, said, “”Clyde was a real straight shooter.””

Tselentis has fond memories of the times their families would have dinner together. He also remembered how much Lowery and he liked pop music, and would often listen to records, including artists like Frank Sinatra. 

“”He was a wonderful guy, a great friend and a good newspaperman,”” Tselentis said.