Downtown Riverside in Riverside County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Howard H "Tim" Hays
Civic Leader
| | The Press-Enterprise 1946-1997 | |
Photographed by Volt Craft, June 26, 2026
1. Howard H "Tim" Hays Marker
Nationally recognized newspaper editor and publisher
Defender of the First Amendment
Driving force and generous benefactor
Leading contributor to the quality of life in the Riverside region:
The Mission Inn
Riverside Art Museum
The University of California Riverside
California Museum of Photography
March Field Museum
Erected 1998.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Civil Rights • Communications.
Location. 33° 58.984′ N, 117° 22.411′ W. Marker is in Riverside, California, in Riverside County. It is in Downtown Riverside. It is at the intersection of Main Street and Mission Inn Avenue, on the right when traveling north on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3663 Main Street, Riverside CA 92501, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles, in the Inland Empire, and in the Peninsular Ranges. It is also in the American Southwest. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim,
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Loring Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Downtown Riverside Mahatma Gandhi Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); The Nanjing Bell (within shouting distance of this marker); Booker Taliaferro Washington (within shouting distance of this marker); Mission Inn (within shouting distance of this marker); Napoleon and Joseph (within shouting distance of this marker); Style and Grace of a Golden Era (within shouting distance of this marker); Bell From Locomotive 66 (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Riverside.
Also see . . .
1. REGION: Hays remembered for community, newspaper work.
Press-Enterprise PUBLISHED: February 11, 2012(Submitted on June 28, 2026, by Volt Craft of Riverside, California.)
Friends, family and colleagues on Saturday remembered Howard H Tim Hays Jr. as a humble but generous visionary who helped transform Riverside and the newspaperindustry through his civic work and stewardship of The Press-Enterprise.Photographed by Volt Craft, June 26, 20262. Howard H "Tim" Hays Marker
Packed into the alumni center at UC Riverside a university Hays played a pivotal role in bringing to the city nearly 200 people laughed while those who knew him best shared stories that showcased both his sly wit and his tenacity that helped save the Mission Inn and lead The Press-Enterprise to national recognition.
Hays died in October at age 94. He spent 51 years at The Press-Enterprise, beginning as an assistant editor in 1946 and later serving as editor, co-publisher, publisher and chairman. He retired in 1997.
Riverside attorney John Boyd helped try two landmark Supreme Court cases involving public access in jury selection and pre-trial hearings under Hays leadership in the 1980s.
When people would complain about their spouse, Ann Landers would say Are you better off with or without them? Boyd said after the memorial service. Riverside was certainly better off with Tim.
And that was certainly the message conveyed Saturday.
A Stanford- and Harvard-educated lawyer who had a brief career as an FBI special agent, Hays was remembered as much for his effect on the Riverside-area community as for his work at the paper, which included leading The Press-Enterprise to win the Pulitzer Prize for meritorious public service in 1968.
For every story about Hays gifts to UCR, the Mission Inn or other groups, there was a story that told of his reluctance to take credit. For each memory of his willingness to back a reporter on a controversial story, another was shared about his push to better the journalism community as a whole through his activism, leadership roles and insight.
Doug Shackelton, former general manager of the Mission Inn, called Hays arguably the most central figure for more than a decade in preserving the site and preventing it from becoming a parking lot.
And Tim White, chancellor at UCR, said that each time he walks across campus, he is reminded of Hays effect in leading the drive to secure the UC campus.
Tim was a man of great vision, Shackelton said. He was a leader in a very distinctive way. He had integrity beyond reproach, impeccably honest in every way.
Tom Hays concluded the ceremony, speaking about his fathers love of tennis and travel and his penchant for always having his nose buried in a newspaper or a book. He recalled his fathers need to be in constant motion and the pride he feels when, as an Associated Press writer in New York, he still hears The Press-Enterprise Supreme Court cases referenced in court.
Tim loved being the center of attention, as long as it brought attention to the greater good, Tom Hays said. I think thats what made him such a great newspaperman.
2. Lead with Joy: Ari Shapiro Shares Stories and Wisdom with Riverside. This years Hays Press-Enterprise Lecturer, Shapiro started with a tribute to Riverside Press-Enterprise editor Howard H. Tim Hays, who started the 56-year-old tradition in collaboration with UCR. The award-winning journalist cited the vision of Hays, who funded the first lectures, as well as his son, Tom, who endowed the series in perpetuity in 1997. (Submitted on June 28, 2026, by Volt Craft of Riverside, California.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2026, by Volt Craft of Riverside, California. This page has been viewed 10 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 28, 2026, by Volt Craft of Riverside, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
