In the 1989-1990 school year, the Daily O'Collegian was one of the most honored college newspapers in the nation. While commonly winning state-level contests, student reporters, photographers and layout artists also won 15 awards from the Southwestern Journalism Congress, six Mark of Excellence Awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, and three top-ten awards from the William Randolph Hearst Journalism Awards Program that year.

In 1991, O’Colly reporter Kelly (Kurt) Brown won the Associated College Press’s award for the top collegiate newspaper story in the nation. She is pictured with her adviser Jack Lancaster (see photos) who also won the ACP’s award for being the top college media adviser in the country that same year.

The students finished the 90s and entered a new century showing future employers what they could do by being named the top college newspaper in the country, which earned them the Pacemaker Award from ACP in 1995 and 2000.