Remembering professor S. Griffin Singer
Moody College of Communication is saddened to learn of S. Griffin “Griff” Singer’s passing. Singer had a decades-long career as a reporter, editor, teacher and newspaper consultant. While serving as a professor at The University of Texas, he taught courses in reporting, copyediting, newspaper layout and design. He received his Bachelor of Journalism in 1955 and a Master of Arts in communication in 1972, both from UT Austin.
As an undergraduate at UT, Singer was a reporter and day editor for The Daily Texan. By night, five days a week, he was a printer in the composing room of the student-led newspaper. He remained involved in Texas Student Media for many years, having been inducted into the Friends of the Daily Texan Hall of Fame in 2018, alongside members like Walter Cronkite and Lady Bird Johnson. He also served on the board and was head of the Executive Committee of Texas Student Media.
As a professional journalist, his first job was as the news editor of the Arlington Citizen-Journal from 1956 through 1959. Later, he achieved a long-time goal when he was offered a position as a general assignments reporter for The Dallas Morning News, his hometown newspaper. Eventually he became assistant city editor for the paper. Singer also held positions with the San Antonio Express-News, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and acted as a consultant for Freedom Communications.
During his career, Singer covered the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the investigation and trial of Jack Ruby, among other major news headlines. Singer participated in countless seminars and workshops, passing on his knowledge of journalism to the next generation of writers. Moody College students will always recognize Singer’s name as the entryway and gathering point for students in the School of Journalism and Media bears his name, the Griff and Evelyn Singer Foyer.
He will be greatly missed but his contributions to his craft will always be remembered.
Learn more about Singer’s legacy from The Daily Texan.
