Decade: 1970-79
David Firestone, BJ ’77
David Firestone, BJ ’77, spent 21 years as a reporter and editor at The New York Times. Firestone is now managing editor of FiveThirtyEight.com, the data-journalism site of ESPN.
Ruth Ann Racely, BJ ’73
Ruth Ann Racely, BJ ’73, retired in 2006 from her position in broadcast and cable consulting, sales and technical support. She had worked with Data Communications Corp./Jefferson-Pilot Communications. Previously, Racely was a sportswriter with The Commercial Appeal in Memphis from 1973-76.
Steven Jay Thor, MA ’71
Steven Jay Thor, MA ’71, recently received two honors: Journalism Teacher of the Year from the Florida Scholastic Press Association and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Journalism Education Association at its 2015 convention in Orlando, Florida. Thor reports that he has crossed paths with his master’s thesis adviser, Ralph Lowenstein, PhD ’67, throughout his … Continued
Carol Gee
Carol Gee, BJ ’72, had two English teachers who helped her develop a love for writing. In eighth grade Miss Bell taught her structure and sentence diagramming to truly understand the elements of writing. Mr. Flowers taught her fiction and narrative writing at the high school level, which inspired Gee’s imagination and improved her writing … Continued
Mary Huss
Major newspapers headlined the Watergate scandal in northwards of 72-point type when Washington Post enterprise reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncovered a major political scandal. The two made public a June 17, 1972, break-in at the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and President Richard Nixon’s attempted cover-up of … Continued
Bradley A. Martin, BJ ’78
Bradley A. Martin, BJ ’78, has served as the editor of the weekly Hickman County Times in Centerville, Tennessee, since 1985. Previously, he was a reporter and an editor at The Commercial Appeal in Memphis. Martin is a member of the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors.
Patrick Farrell
On the desk of Patrick Farrell, BJ ’77, sits a framed photo taken in April 2013 that captures one of his favorite University of Missouri memories. He stands beside then-MU Chancellor Brady Deaton and two members of the founding family of Enterprise Holdings Inc., where Farrell serves as chief marketing and communications officer. Deaton formally announced the … Continued
Steve Doyal
Steve Doyal, BJ ’71, came to the University of Missouri with a taste for journalism after working a couple of summers at the suburban newspaper group where his stepfather was production manager. It wasn’t until covering a horrific accident on Highway 63 as a student reporter for KOMU-TV that he realized that the journalist lifestyle … Continued
Timothy Blair
It was the nationwide HIV and AIDS epidemic that shaped Timothy Blair, BJ ’73, both personally and professionally. In the early-1990s, Blair was working in healthcare public relations in Los Angeles. The HIV and AIDS epidemic was sweeping the nation. Most Americans had heard about it, but few knew much more. The gay community, however, … Continued
Pat Patton
Growing up in the rural and friendly community of Albany in northwest Missouri, Pat Patton, MA ’71, learned the value of small-town kindness at a young age. The town was a tight-knit agricultural community with few strangers and many friendly faces. Patton and his family never had to worry about locking their doors or forgetting … Continued