Dennie Hall

Dennie Hall

September 14, 1934 – April 17, 2020

Dennie Hall died unexpectedly Friday morning, April 17, 2020, He was 85. Dennie Hall was accomplished in many ways. He was a respected journalist and then a journalism professor and historian. Many of his students at Central State University, now the University of Central Oklahoma, called him “Mr. Hall” even after their graduations. He was co-founder of the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame and served as its director. The recently published book “Our Greatest Journalists: Fifty Years of Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame” is dedicated to him and Dr. Ray Tassin. He was the longtime adviser to UCO’s The Vista and known for supporting his editors against attacks from the administration. The student newspaper was named an All-American College Newspaper for the first time in its history while he was adviser. He was The Oklahoman’s book editor known for his reviews and helping great future authors. He fought for civil rights, First Amendment freedoms and the downtrodden, especially those wrongfully imprisoned. He was a grammar and Associated Press style guru with a dry sense of humor. If you said you were making an “advance reservation,” he would look over his glasses, smirk, and reply, “That’s the best kind.” Most of all, he was a kind-hearted man who not only loved his family but the many students who were fortunate to call him a mentor and friend. They loved him, too. He was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Ann Mathews Hall; father, Oliver Street Hall, Jr., and mother, Ada Troxler Hall.  He is survived by his son, John Hall of Edmond; his daughter, Amy Hall of Edmond; his brothers and sisters, Mickey (Norma) Hall of Water Valley, MS; Karen Hall Dye, of Olive Branch, Miss.; Patricia Hall (Eddie) Yarbrough of Memphis, TN; Jimmy Hall of Horn Lake, MS; and three grandsons, Marshall (Corey) Hall of Edmond, OK; Matthew (Libby) Hall of Tulsa, OK, and Mason Hall, of Midwest City, OK, and his only great granddaughter, Elliott Cassidy Hall, of Edmond. He was also expecting the birth of his second great grandchild, to be born in May 2020. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, 3355 South Purdue Avenue, OKC, OK 73137.