Indiana University School of Journalism

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Photo by Jessica Haney

Gary Morrison, left, performed a one-man show about Ernie Pyle during the reception for the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame induction weekend. With him are (center) alumnae Doris Brineman, BA’48, and Marge Blewett, BA’48.

Related Visit the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame Web site. Meet the six inductees for 2010. Asher hosts Profiles (April 11) Indy SPJ awards faculty, staff, students (April 26) School mourns loss of Beth Wood (Nov. 15)

Hoosier journalists gathered in Bloomington Friday to kick off a weekend of celebrating the state’s most accomplished reporters, broadcasters, editors and industry leaders during the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame’s induction ceremonies.

And, the events marked the first time Indiana University played a part in the events. As of July, the organization officially relocates from DePauw University in Greencastle to IU, a move that has been in the works since last spring.

Friday’s reception at Bloomington’s Fountain Square ballroom featured School of Journalism students, faculty, alumni and hall of fame members in the area for Saturday’s annual hall of fame induction ceremony, where six new members were to join the more than 200 members.

The evening also commemorated the new location. The Indiana Society of Professional Journalists started the hall of fame in 1966. Though no longer associated with SPJ, it remained at DePauw until the board voted unanimously last April to move to Indiana University.

Hall of fame board member Scarlett Syse said one draw to IU was the support of the School of Journalism and its dean, Brad Hamm. The hall’s executive director, Lawrence Taylor, also cited Hamm’s support as a factor in the decision, as well as the school’s faculty, programs such as the Speaker Series, and the school’s assistance in building a new Web site for the hall and archiving its materials.

Syse said part of the plan is to display some of the Hall of Fame materials in the classrooms, which will enable the students to see legendary journalists on a daily basis. The members represent the history of journalism in Indiana, including publishers from the turn of the century, women and minority groundbreakers, reporters killed while doing their jobs and small-town editors dedicated to serving their communities.

The Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame Web site lists all members’ bios, including the six inducted this weekend. The new Web site is one of the ways the school is partnering with the hall of fame since its relocation to IU.

The evening included a program that paid homage to the school’s celebrated alumnus, World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle, who was among the first class of members inducted in 1966. April 18 marks the 65th anniversary of his death while covering the war in the Pacific, where he was killed on the island of Ie Shima.

Wrapping up the evening, a one-man show written and performed by Gary Morrison described Pyle’s war experiences. Morrison said he was grateful to perform his piece on this particular weekend at IU.

“It was almost a gift,” he said.

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