By DI Staff

William Casey, the longtime publisher of The Daily Iowan, will retire after the 2016-17 academic year, more than 40 years after he started delivering the paper in 1972.

Casey began his career at the DI in 1972 as a truck driver and then worked as the circulation manager. He started as the publisher in 1976, a post he has held since then.

“It’s almost unreal to think of Bill retiring,” current Editor-in-Chief Stacey Murray said. “Most people have never known the DI without Bill Casey.”

Cassey announced his decision at a Student Publications, Inc, last week.

“The board was caught by surprise by Bill’s decision. We’ve relied on his vision, leadership and innovative ideas, so the thought of finding a new publisher is daunting,” said board member Randy Evans. “Bill has built The Daily Iowan into one of the very best campus newspapers in the United States, and I’m confident many talented journalists will be interested in building on Bill’s impressive legacy.”

The DI, in his tenure, has been repeatedly recognized as one of the top college newspapers in the country, winning six Pacemaker awards and operating on one of the largest budgets in the country.

The DI, led by Casey, has launched thousands of young journalists into careers at places such as the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, CNN, ESPN, and the White House, along with countless others, throughout many eras of journalism.

Among his accomplishments include a scholarship program, begun in 1987, which provides up to four high-school seniors with scholarships, which they receive annually through their time at the DI as they work in various capacities in the newsroom.  He also started Daily Iowan TV, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary this year.

Casey has accumulated many awards for his work as publisher, including the Iowa Newspaper Association’s Distinguished Service Award in 2003 and the “Master Publisher” award in 2005. He was elected to the UI School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s Hall of Fame in 2013. Earlier this year, the Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism-IowaWatch honored him with its first-ever IowaWatch Master Mentors award.

The board intends to conduct a nation-wide search for Casey’s successor after seating a search committee.

“We intend to announce the next publisher in spring 2017, before Bill leaves,” said Mr. Evans.