Larry Stahle, advisor for The Signpost from 1980 to 1995, passed away on August 1.

Stahle always promoted a message of involvement and growth for The Signpost, and maintained that while the newspaper may have looked different over the years, it’s value in allowing students to get involved on campus was constant and valuable.

Stahle left a legacy in his position as advisor at The Signpost. Sheree Josephson, current chair of the Communication department and former Signpost advisor herself, noted how difficult she felt it would be to follow in his footsteps.

“When Larry Stahle stepped down as the faculty adviser for The Signpost, I had really big shoes to fill,” Josephson said. “Both because of his impact on community and student journalism in the state of Utah and because of his towering height.”

Josephson said Stahle always wanted The Signpost to operate as a real newspaper. “Larry also treated The Signpost as a real newspaper because it was. He expected it to be of the same quality as any other community newspaper because it was a newspaper that covered the Weber State community.”

Not only did Stahle ensure The Signpost would remain a vocal part of the Weber State University and greater Ogden community through to today, he also received multiple commendations for his work in the field of journalism.

Stahle served as secretary for the Utah Press Association in 1990 and was elected president in 1992. The Utah Press Association is an organization that was founded all the way back in 1893 by a group of publishers in Utah, hoping to always allow the people access to print media.

Today, they continue to represent newspapers throughout the state and uphold a standard for the highest-quality journalism, a goal Stahle always sought to promote as well.

Just a few years later, Stahle received the Utah Press Association’s highest award, the Master Editor and Publisher Award, which the Utah Press Association describes as going to those who “…work hard, live honorably, thought soundly, influenced unselfishly and is entitled to the highest recognition in his profession.”

Then, in 1998 Stahle received Clifford P. Cheney Service to Journalism Award, an award given by the Society of Professional Journalists to those who make lifelong contributions to the journalism field.

Stahle’s contributions to the field of journalism and his influence on not only The Signpost, but journalism as a whole, will not be forgotten.