Barbara Greenspun spent much of her life as the silent force next to her husband, Hank Greenspun, helping to run the Las Vegas Sun newspaper, starting the valley's first TV station, KLAS-TV, and founding the city's first cable station, now Cox Communications. She also helped her husband develop the first master-planned community in Southern Nevada Green Valley.

Known as a visionary leader in all forms of media as well as an advocate for many important nonprofits and community causes, Greenspun was the founder of the Barbara Greenspun Women's Care Center of Excellence and helped found the Sun Summer Camp Fund.

The Greenspuns' support of education and involvement with UNLV has spanned many years. Among other academic contributions, the couple founded the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs, which houses the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies; the Barbara Greenspun Lecture Series, and the Barbara Greenspun Journalism Scholarship. Barbara Greenspun served on the UNLV Foundation Board of Trustees and has been awarded both an honorary doctorate (1998) and the Distinguished Nevadan Award (1991).

Barbara Greenspun passed away on June 1, 2010.