Mathew Logan

Mathew "Kuyk" Kuykendall Logan 80, veteran Texas and Oklahoma journalist and public relations executive, died at home on Friday, July 11, 2014. Kuyk and his wife Dianne lived in The Woodlands, TX.
Kuyk was born August 19, 1933, in Norman, OK, the youngest son of Dr. and Mrs. Leonard M. Logan, Jr. After obtaining a degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma where he was editor of the student newspaper, Logan took a reporting job at United Press International and later became city editor for The Daily Oklahoman in Oklahoma City. During that time, he was Oklahoma correspondent for Time, Life and Fortune magazines but his newspaper career began much earlier.
At age 11, he began publishing a neighborhood newspaper in his hometown of Norman. The Petite Press, an "almost daily" with a paid circulation topping 50, gave Logan his first scoop. In the wee hours of June 6, 1944, he delivered the news of the Allied Invasion in Normandy to the doorsteps of his subscribers "before the Norman Transcript paperboys were even out of bed."
Kuyk's early love of the news business went beyond being a grade school news tycoon. He also had a newspaper route and swept out the local radio station and several print shops where he learned the craft of letterpress printing.
In high school he had a weekly radio program on station KNOR in Norman where he covered local happenings and played hit music of the day. In college he hosted OU's Front Page with Kuyk Logan on the same station.
Kuyk's long news career took him to the San Angelo (TX) Standard-Times, United Press International in Oklahoma City and The Daily Oklahoman and Oklahoma City Times. While city editor of The Daily Oklahoman, the Hobby family brought him to Houston in 1969 as assistant managing editor of The Houston Post. He was named managing editor in 1976, a job he held until the paper was sold in 1983.
From there, he became managing editor of news at the Houston CBS affiliate, KHOU-TV, and in 1987 he was recruited by The University of Texas Medical School at Houston to serve as its first assistant dean for community affairs.
In 1992, he joined the medical school's teaching hospital, Hermann, as vice president of public affairs and marketing. In 1997, when Hermann and the Memorial Healthcare System merged to form the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, Kuyk was named vice president of corporate communications, a post he held until he retired in July, 2002.
Throughout his career, Kuyk enjoyed teaching college journalism part-time at the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City University, University of Central Oklahoma and the University of Houston/Downtown.
One of his last career assignments was to serve three years as a distinguished professor of journalism at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville where he was appointed to the Philip G. Warner Endowed Chair in Journalism in 2002.
Kuyk counted his years of military service among his most rewarding experiences.
Following active duty as a second lieutenant in army intelligence, he served 11 years in the 45th Infantry Division of the Oklahoma Army National Guard, heading its information section. When he resigned from the Thunderbird division at the rank of major, he was awarded the Oklahoma Meritorious Service Medal for National Guard Service.
Kuyk's family has deep roots in Texas history. Three Kuykendall brothers were among the original 300 settlers of the Stephen F. Austin colony. His grandmother, Annie Kuykendall, was in the first graduating class of what today is Sam Houston State University. Kuyk was proud to be the namesake of his great-great grandfather, Captain Mathew Kuykendall, who fought with General Sam Houston at San Jacinto and whose name is engraved on the monument there.
Kuyk was a past president of the Associated Press Managing Editors of Texas and United Press International Editors of Texas, and was a Pulitzer Prize juror for three years. He served two terms as chairman of the Texas Medical Center Public Relations Advisory Council. He was a member of Sigma Chi social fraternity, Sigma Delta Chi journalistic society, American Society of Newspaper Editors, Texas Freedom of Information Foundation, American Amateur Press Association, Museum of Printing History Printers Guild, American College of Healthcare Executives and Texas Society for Hospital Public Relations and Marketing.
Among the many roles he played throughout his life, Kuyk regarded those of husband and father the most important and he excelled at both. He was a loving and attentive father and for 50 years, a fun-loving and adventurous companion to his wife, Dianne. They shared a love of travel, music, art, reading, entertaining and letterpress printing. Throughout their marriage they collected antique presses and equipment and for 48 years, played side-by-side in the hobby print shop they called Prints Charming Ink.
In addition to wife, Dianne, Kuyk is survived by grandson, Brian J. Rung and wife, Amanda, of Austin, TX; sisters-in-law Judy Ferguson of Oklahoma City and Marilyn Barragree and husband, Jack, of Edmond, OK.
Nieces and nephews residing in Oklahoma are Ann Elise Logan; Liz Logan and husband, Bow Bailey; Leonard M. Logan IV and wife, Dorene; David Ferguson and wife, Jenny; Brian Ferguson and wife, Lauren; Mary Logan Wolf; and Jay Ferguson and wife, Kristen.
Residing in Dallas are nephews, Patrick Jacobs and wife, Annie; and in Ozark, AK, Jay Logan and companion, Cathy.
Kuyk was predeceased by his son, Robert Tyler Logan; parents, Leonard M. Logan, Jr. and Floy Elise Logan of Norman, OK; brothers James Duke Logan and wife, Dorothy, of Vinita, OK; and Leonard M. Logan III and wife, Julia, of Norman, OK; Dianne's parents, L. W. Elderkin and wife, Dorothy of Oklahoma City; and brothers-in-law, Kip Ferguson of Oklahoma City and Karl Jacobs of Luther, OK.
Services will be held on Friday, July 18, 2014, at 3:00 pm, in the Chapel of Forest Park - The Woodlands. Reception will follow.
Kuyk will be buried in a private ceremony at Resthaven Cemetery next to his and Dianne's son, Robert Tyler Logan, who died in 1979.
The family wishes to acknowledge the many friends and neighbors whose encouragement, support and care contributed so greatly to the quality of our lives during the most difficult days. Special thanks to the staffs of HomeWatch Caregivers, Reliant Rehabilitation Hospital, Memorial Hermann Hospital and Vitas Hospice, all of The Woodlands. To our core support team: Mike LeJeune, Peggy Young, Brandall Lambert, Tarvia Foster and Shannon Dobyns, there are no words to adequately express our gratitude and love.
Condolences may be submitted online to www.forestparkthewoodlands.com.
In lieu of flowers, those who so desire may make memorial donations to the Robert Tyler Logan Memorial Music Scholarship, University of Oklahoma Foundation, Inc., 100 Timberdell Road; Norman, OK. 73019-0685.