June 1, 1952 – After heading west from Minneapolis with four young children, ages 5 months to 6½ years, Arthur and Morley Ballantine take the reins of The Durango Herald-Democrat and Durango News. They merge the papers into one daily.
1955 – Morley earns first place for editorial writing at the National Federation of Press Women in New Orleans.
1956 – The Durango Herald-News earns the University of Colorado School of Journalism’s prestigious Parkhurst trophy for community service and Crosman trophy for editorial writing.
Please join us
Ballantine Communications is celebrating 70 years of ownership. Please join us for an informal open house at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18, or 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19, at The Durango Herald office, 1275 Main Ave.
1957 – The family establishes the Ballantine Family Fund, which continues to this day to provide financial assistance to worthy nonprofits – charitable, educational, literary and scientific. The fund’s assets are now at around $5 million.
September 1957 – With full and vocal support from the Ballantines and Durango Herald-News, Fort Lewis A&M, which just three years previously had 150 students and was on the brink of dissolving, is moved from south of Hesperus to a new campus on a mesa above Durango called Reservoir Hill. Five years later, again with the Ballantines’ urging, Fort Lewis becomes a four-year institution.
Oct. 8, 1965 – A dedication ceremony, attended by hundreds of community members and state luminaries such as Colorado Gov. John Love, is held to commemorate the new and fully modern Durango Herald building at 1275 Main Ave.
1970s – Morley serves on several statewide commissions, including Land Use, Status of Women and the Population Advisory Council.
Nov. 14, 1975 – Arthur Ballantine Jr. dies of a sudden heart attack at age 61. Morley takes over as sole publisher. Daughter Elizabeth leaves her studies at Columbia University and moves to Durango for a year, both as news reporter and as support for her mother.
December 1980 – Richard Ballantine joins The Durango Herald as assistant publisher.
Oct. 1, 1983 – Richard becomes publisher of the Herald as Morley steps aside, partly to focus on her role as director of the family’s news media companies in Des Moines and Minneapolis. Morley retains the title of editor and chairman of the board, and writes a weekly column.
April 4, 1995 – In order to be more relevant throughout the day, The Durango Herald switches from afternoon to morning delivery.
July 1996 – Ahead of the curve for a newspaper its size, the Herald establishes an online news presence.
1997 – Morley leads a three-year campaign to fund an $8 million Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College. A grand opening is held Jan. 27, 2001.
1997 – Morley earns the Durango Chamber of Commerce’s Athena Award, given annually to a woman who leads and helps her community. In 2005, the honor is renamed the Morley Ballantine Award.
1997 – Richard is named Colorado Press Association’s Newspaper Person of the Year. He would go on to serve a stint as association president.
2002 – For its extensive coverage of the Missionary Ridge Fire, the Herald is given the Sigma Delta Chi Award by the Society of Professional Journalists for excellence in journalism in public service.
Oct. 10, 2009 – After years of struggling with throat cancer and other health issues, Morley dies at age 84.
September 2010 – The Colorado Freedom of Information Council awards the Ballantine family its Friend of Freedom Award, given sporadically to an organization that takes bold steps in supporting freedom of the press.
July 31, 2013 – Richard steps aside as publisher, and for the first time a nonfamily member takes over day-to-day operations of the company.
April 2018 – Morley is inducted into the Colorado Press Association’s Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Colorado Springs. A year later, Richard is inducted.
Aug. 18-19, 2022 – The Ballantine family celebrates its 70th anniversary of owning The Durango Herald and related media companies.
