Aug. 3, 06 - You can’t hide from the summer heat

By AMANDA HARRIS
Decades ago, Robert John Meade led the Texas International Fishing Tournament and wanted to recognize the media for keeping attention on the Laguna Madre’s sport fishing.

Sunday, tournament organizers awarded a trophy in Meade’s name to the Island Breeze for its “promotion and publicizing of South Texas as an outstanding sports fishing area,” according to TIFT.

Tournament director Betty Wells said the Breeze’s articles and “especially the headlines” convinced the board to honor the newspaper this year. The publication’s name will be inscribed on the Robert John Meade Perpetual Trophy.

 "TIFT is such a big part of this community,” said Ryan Henry, editor of the Island Breeze. “This award is special to us because we’ve always tried to reflect the community in our stories. We’re very honored by this award — and equally surprised.”

The trophy is awarded annually to a “person, publication or organization” for sport fishing coverage before and during the annual fishing tournament, Wells said.

The perpetual trophy was donated to the tournament by the Guzman family of Port Isabel in memory of their son, Zaiden Gilbert Gilbert, who passed away as an infant, Wells said.

The trophy also honors the legacy of Robert John Meade and his wife.

“[Robert John Meade] and his wife were tournament directors for a number of years,” Wells said.

Robert John Meade was hired as the TIFT executive director in the 1950s and served in the role every year until his death in 1966, his son, Jay Meade, said Tuesday.

The senior Meade was originally from Ohio, but he and his wife lived in Florida and owned a 52 -foot boat that they chartered for a number of years, his son said.

When Jay Meade was born, the family relocated to Houston “to make a living” and eventually moved to Harlingen, he said.

“When he moved down here [the tournament] was in its infancy,” Meade said. “That was one of the first things he did. He got involved almost the minute he got here.”

At the time, the tournament was struggling, and Robert John Meade contributed to the tournament’s growth and survival.

“He did a good job on it, and they kept hiring him year after year after year.” Meade said. “He did it up to his death.”

Robert John Meade’s mother also played a crucial role in the tournament’s growth during its early years, Meade said.

She acted as a co-director and stayed involved in TIFT for approximately 10 years after her husband’s death.

During the course of the Meades’ tenure as tournament directors, they won numerous awards, Meade said.

However, Robert John Meade felt there was a lack of recognition to the media, his son said.
“He just always wanted to recognize the media,” Meade said. “And [the award] was his way of doing it.”

Meade estimated that the trophy was first awarded in the 1960s, and numerous national, state and local media and organizations have received it over the years.

“I’ve been told that sports magazines and the Houston Chronicle have received this award in the past,” Henry said. “The SPI Convention and Visitors Bureau and photographer Valerie Bates have also been given this award in recent years. So we’re in good company.”