Giving

In 2023, the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism will celebrate a milestone anniversary – a century of journalism education at Ohio University.

In anticipation of this very special period in the life of the school, Director Emeritus Ralph Izard started work more than six years ago on The Scripps School: Its Stories, People, and Legacy, which chronicles the history of our school. The book is a deep and reflective collection of writings by alumni, current and former faculty and friends highlighting the life of the school over the decades leading up to our centennial.

Ralph Izard talks about the importance of his new book for the School of Journalism.

To celebrate that history as an impetus for the future, we’ve also come to understand the importance of using the occasion of our centennial to make the Scripps brand of journalism education as available as possible in the coming century and beyond. At no time in the school’s history has our mission been more important to democracy, but we also know that the cost of higher education – even at a public university like OHIO – can stretch students to the point that affordability becomes a very real concern.

The Scripps Future of Journalism Scholarship

Former directors Robert Stewart (and Dr. Penny Shelton), Ralph (and Janet) Izard, Tom (and Jan) Hodson and Michael Real with alumni Andy Alexander, Bev Jones, Ken Klein and Eileen Sheil are seeding a brand new, endowed award: The Scripps Future of Journalism Scholarship. Please take this opportunity to join this campaign by making a gift toward this scholarship. With this new fund, we can help support more young people who want to major in journalism at OHIO in the decades to come.

If you prefer, you may designate that your contribution go to any one of the many scholarships in the school or set up an entirely new scholarship.

Your gift to the school will help future Bobcat journalists create the kinds of stories that are recounted in Izard’s book, which includes color and black and white photographs and more than a hundred individual entries that together convey the amazing legacy of the school’s first century.

Please give an amount with which you are comfortable, but as a special thank you to those who provide a $1,000 (or larger) gift, we will send you a copy of the 434-page limited-edition volume, The Scripps School: Its Stories, People, and Legacy. Please note that the gift can be given over a five-year period. Please let Journalism Director Eddith Dashiell (dashiell@ohio.edu) know if you are planning to make this commitment and a book will be on its way!

To give now, send a check made out to Ohio University (include scholarship name in memo line) to: Eddith Dashiell, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Schoonover Center 230, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701.

Make an online donation to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Choose to make a one-time or recurring gift and be sure to designate the name of the scholarship (or fund) for your donation.

In addition to the new scholarship fund we are creating to mark this important anniversary, the school has many more scholarships that benefit our students in various ways. You can read about them under our "Scholarships" link. We would particularly like to highlight the scholarships that are named for alumni, faculty members and directors, as many of these were started by those individuals:

• Russell Baird High School Newspaper Editor Scholarship: Russ Baird is a former longtime graphics and design faculty member who co-authored one of the foundational textbooks in communication graphics. Russ Baird created this award for incoming freshmen who have been editor of their high school newspapers because he believed these hardworking high school journalists showed great potential for the future.
• Alvin Adams Scholarship: This scholarship, sponsored by the Scripps School, honors Alvin Adams, one of the first African American graduates of our program. He graduated in 1959, and his career began at the The Chicago Defender. He was associate editor for Jet magazine before he began working in public relations for the federal government’s anti-poverty program. He continued his public relations career working for the two major unions and the Illinois Power Company. This scholarship is designated for underrepresented incoming freshmen who attend Scripps School High School Journalism Workshop.
• Andrew Alexander Scholarship: Andy Alexander is a former editor of the POST and was recently inducted into the Scripps College of Communication Hall of Fame. Andy was the longtime head of the Cox Newspapers Washington Bureau, and then spent two years as the ombudsman for the Washington Post newspaper and dot-com. This scholarship is designated for underrepresented news editorial students.
• Cortland Anderson Scholarship: Established by alumni in honor of the former director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Cortland Anderson came to the School of Journalism from the Washington Post in 1981. He died in 1985, never seeing the school move into Scripps Hall after breaking ground a year earlier. The Cortland Anderson Scholarships are specifically designated for students entering their sophomore year.
• Robert Baker Scholarship: Robert Baker is professor emeritus at the Scripps School who taught advertising and public relations. His scholarship is designated for an outstanding member of the school's award winning PRSSA chapter.
• Loren J. Hortin Scholarship: L.J. Hortin taught in the School of Journalism for 20 years beginning in 1947, he lead the school for 14 of those years. During Hortin's leadership the Scripps School of Journalism became one of the first accredited journalism schools in the country. Alumni of the school established this scholarship to honor Mr. Hortin.
• Ralph Izard-Post Scholarship: This scholarship was established to recognize outstanding work at The Post student newspaper. Longtime journalism Former Director and Professor Ralph Izard's generous gift has been supplemented by many former Posties to create this scholarship. Dr. Izard was director of the school during the establishment of the Institute of International Journalism and the dedication of the Sing Tao Center.
• George Starr Lasher Living Legacy Award: This unique award was established in the memory of George Starr Lasher - the first director of the School of Journalism and the person who really laid the foundation for a school of excellence. The award, endowed by Mr. Lasher's daughter, Mary Elizabeth Lasher Meyers provides the funds for students to spread their journalism wings with a cultural experience of their choice. Former winners have traveled to NYC, London, Rome, Prague, and Madrid.
• Lasher-Evarts Quality of Writing Scholarship: This award was also established by Mary Elizabeth Lasher Meyers in honor of her father, and longtime Scripps professor Dru Riley Evarts. Both Professors Lasher and Dr. Evarts pushed every student to be a better writer and use language correctly. This scholarship honors quality writing.
• Guido Stempel Scholarship: Distinguished Professor Emeritus Guido Stempel established this scholarship to recognize outstanding journalism students. Dr. Stempel joined the Scripps faculty in 1965 and has been recognized for his teaching, mentorship and research with nearly every award in the field of Communication.
• John R. Wilhelm Foreign Correspondence Internships. The Institute’s John R. Wilhelm Foreign Correspondence Internship Program funds several internships each year through endowed scholarships. Since 1970, more than 200 journalism majors have received such support, traveling to approximately 30 countries. Applicants must be earning a degree in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, have significant reporting experience, and must complete the Foreign Correspondence capstone course.

To discuss the creation of a named scholarship, please contact OHIO's Office of Annual Giving at  giving@ohio.edu or 800.592.3863.

The future of journalism depends on young people joining us in this profession. We all know the challenges facing our industry, but we also are reminded every day of the central role journalists play in keeping our nation’s citizenry informed and keeping the powerful accountable to voters and consumers. Please consider helping us as we work to ensure the continuation of our legacy for decades and centuries to come.

Centennial Symposia

In the years leading up to the anniversary, the school will celebrate our years and your years by hosting a number of programs to reflect on specific school accomplishments as well as spotlight a number of our notable alumni.

• Carr Van Anda Symposium (October 20, 2020)
• Schuneman Symposium (TBA in 2021)
• 75th Anniversary of the High School Journalism Workshop (TBA in 2021)
• 50th Anniversary of the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism, and 40th Anniversary of the naming of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism (TBA in 2022)
• 100th Anniversary of Journalism Education at Ohio University (TBA)

We also need your time and talent!

Join our Society of Alumni and Friends. Members of this organization work to improve the JSchool by creating on-campus programs (e.g., Senior Saturday Day) and networking opportunities. For additional information about the JSchool's Society of Alumni and Friends, please contact Ben Clos (BSJ 2015) at benclos1@gmail.com. 

Advice: Advise us on curriculum matters. You are in a perfect position to keep us apprised of changes in your specific industry. We'd very much like to hear suggestions you might have to help our program improve.

One-on-one with students: Speak to students one-on-one. Perhaps one of our students is interning with your company. Seek them out and give them some of your time and advice. These kinds of exchanges are invaluable to our students.

Speak to classes: Volunteer to speak to classes or one of our student organizations. You can do this in person or by tele/video conference (by phone, virtual meetings, etc.).

As always, we love to hear from you, so just let us know how you would like to give back!

Happy Giving!

Eddith Dashiell, Director (2020)