Marj Carpenter, a noted journalist and a revered Presbyterian Church leader, died June 13, 2020. She received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Austin College in 1992 when she delivered the Baccalaureate sermon.
The former Moderator of the 207th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA, also was head of the Presbyterian News Service for many years. She traveled to more than 125 countries to eyewitness what the church was doing in mission around the world.
In 1991 and 1992 Carpenter served as president of the National Federation of Press Women and was once named Communicator of the Year in the United States.
She was valedictorian of Mercedes High School in 1943, and three years later, she graduated summa cum laude from Texas A & I University in Kingsville with a degree in music. She also holds honorary doctorates from Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina, and Presbyterian Women’s University in Seoul, Korea.