‘Giant of intellect’: Former Star-Telegram president, publisher dies at 86

Phillip Meek, a former president and publisher of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, died Nov. 21 in his Michigan home. He was 86.

Meek was the president and publisher of the newspaper from 1977 to 1986. He presided over the two Pulitzer Prizes in the history of the Star-Telegram.

“He was just incredibly bright and incredibly caring about his employees,” said Wes Turner, another former Star-Telegram publisher who worked as an advertising director under Meek.

Meek attended Ohio Wesleyan University before he went on to Harvard Business School, where he earned his master’s in business administration.

While he graduated from high school and attended college in Ohio, Meek moved six times between five states during his early childhood. These moves helped Meek build his skills at making friends and easily adapting to new environments, according to an obituary released by his family.

Before working in news, Meek worked for the Ford Motor Company. This experience propelled him to leadership of a Detroit task force in charge of revamping the city’s economic development following the 1967 uprising.

He went on to work for The Oakland Press in Michigan, previously known as The Pontiac Press, as a publisher before moving to Fort Worth in 1977, where he served as the Star-Telegram’s general manager before becoming publisher.

Some of the happiest years of his life professionally were spent in Fort Worth, said Meek’s son Brian. Fort Worth was a place you feel the impact the newspaper had on the community, which was something Meek relished, he said.

Meek came to the Star-Telegram shortly after the Carter family sold the local institution to Capital Cities Publishing in 1974. He was very conscious of that legacy, Brian said, and worked hard to make sure the paper maintained its connections to the community.

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During his time in Fort Worth, Meek served on the board of the United Way of Tarrant County and held a leadership role in the Texas Daily Newspaper Association.

It was a magnificent time for the Star-Telegram during Meek’s tenure, Turner said, while adding Meek was “a giant of intellect and kindness.”

Meek was promoted in 1986 to president at Capital Cities Publishing, the Star-Telegram’s parent company at the time. He also worked the Walt Disney Co. after its purchase of Capital Cities/ABC in 1996. He retired in 1997 after helping Disney sell its publishing assets.

According to Turner, Meek “epitomized” the management at Capital Cities.

Meek lived in New York and Greenwich, Connecticut, before retiring and settling in Michigan.

Meek is survived by his wife of 63 years, Nancy; daughters Kathy and Laurie and son Brian.

The family has asked that gifts to honor Phil be made to Promedica Hospice Care of Northwest Michigan, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy or Ohio Wesleyan University. Services are being planned for mid-May 2024 to coincide with the blossoming of cherry trees on the family’s Michigan farm.