Rubye Del Harden distinguished herself as a newspaper publisher, business leader and advocate for community and economic development during a career spanning journalism, advertising and public service.
Harden grew up in the newspaper business. Her father, Delmus C. Harden, purchased The Itawamba County Times in Fulton in 1945, when she was only a year old. The elder Harden later became one of the original eight members inducted into the Mississippi Press Association Hall of Fame in 1986.
After earning undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi and pursuing additional graduate studies at Auburn University, Harden continued her family’s newspaper tradition. She served as publisher of The Itawamba County Times from 1977 to 1999.
Under Harden’s leadership, The Times became one of Mississippi’s most honored community newspapers. During her tenure, the newspaper received more than 100 first-place awards in the MPA Better Newspaper Contest and repeatedly earned General Excellence honors as the state’s best large weekly newspaper.
Harden also provided significant leadership to the Mississippi newspaper industry. She served nine years on the MPA Board of Directors and as president of the association. Her professional honors include the University of Southern Mississippi Medalist Award for Excellence in Journalism in 1987, the Mississippi University for Women Silver Inky Journalism Award in 1989 and the American Advertising Federation’s Silver Medal Award for an outstanding career in advertising in 1995.
An accomplished entrepreneur, Harden founded RESULTS Inc., a consulting firm created to facilitate community leadership programs, in 1980. She later established the Tupelo-based printing company SprintPrint in 1988 and SNAP, an advertising specialties company, in 1997. She also owned the Red Bay News in Alabama and served as a consultant to the Baldwyn News.
Harden’s commitment to community service and economic development was equally extensive. A past president of the Itawamba County Development Council, she received the organization’s Outstanding Service Award in 1990 and was named Mississippi Economic Development Volunteer of the Year in 1998. She was a charter member of the Commission on the Future of Northeast Mississippi and served as co-chairman of the steering committee for Leadership Itawamba from its inception in 1986.
A Rotarian and member of All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Tupelo, Harden built a career defined by excellence in community journalism, entrepreneurial leadership and service to her profession and state.
