- On January 30, 1987, President Ronald Reagan awarded Speakes the Presidential Citizens Medal.
- Speakes was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in 2008.
- Larry had three children from his first two marriages, a daughter, Sondra 'Sandy' Lanell Speakes Huerta, and two sons, Scott Speakes, and Jeremy Speakes; six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
- Attended the University of Mississippi, where he majored in journalism.
- Winner of the Distinguished Journalism Alumni Award from the University of Mississippi in 1981.
- Won the Kappa Sigma Fraternity National Man of the Year Award in 1982.
- Was awarded an honorary doctor of letters degree from Indiana Central University in 1982.
- Special Achievement Award from the National Association of Government Communicators in 1983.
- His newspapers won top awards from the Mississippi Press Association for 6 straight years while he was editor in the 1960s.
- Veteran of the White House press office for nine years under three Presidential administrations (Nixon, Ford, and Reagan), including conducting over 2,000 daily press briefings during the Administration of President Reagan.
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