Newspaper 'hall' dedicated
By STU MERRY
The North Dakota Newspaper Association Hall of Fame has found a prominent place in the new addition to the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck.
The hall of fame was dedicated this past Friday to the memory of the late Don Gackle, the 47th inductee, in recognition of his long leadership of NDNA and his leadership of and philanthropy to the NDNA Education Foundation.
The dedication of a kiosk that hosts the hall of fame was part of the North Dakota Newspaper Association’s annual convention in Bismarck. A second kiosk is planned prior to the dedication of the center’s grand opening later this year. The hall of fame can also be accessed online.
Al Jaeger, North Dakota’s secretary of state, said the location of the kiosk is appropriate. "Papers have been an integral part of documenting the state," he said.
Representing the family of the late Don Gackle was son Mike. He said he was honored to be a part of the dedication ceremonies.
Until now, the NDNA Hall was housed in a reading room at the University of North Dakota. Mike Gackle said the dedication of the more public and more technologically advanced hall of fame was through the efforts and funding of the NDNA Education foundation, an entity begun largely due to the efforts of Don Gackle.
"It was Don’s passion to get the foundation going," Mike said.
Gackle, along with close newspaper friends Bill Marcil, publisher of the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, and Sen. John Andrist, former publisher of the Crosby Journal, founded the North Dakota Newspaper Association Education Foundation that played a major part in establishing the hall of fame. Marcil said if not for Don, this might not have become a reality.
