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Franklin College faculty member named to Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame

Written by Russ Jones

Friday, 07 March 2008

FRANKLIN, Ind. – Franklin College coordinating director of visual communications, Dennis Cripe, was named as a 2008 inductee into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame.

“I think an award such as this one validates all journalism teachers who work hard every day to make a difference in the lives of their students,” Cripe said. “I’m glad to be a part of a profession that helps students to be effective communicators and effective leaders.”

Cripe received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Ball State University. He worked as an adjunct professor in the IU School of Journalism at Indianapolis before coming to Franklin College in 1992. While in Indianapolis, he also published The Sagamore, IUPUI’s student newspaper.

He served as executive director of the Indiana High School Press Association for 14 years while also teaching part time at Franklin College. He was promoted to full professor in 2006 and currently has primary responsibility for the visual communications track of the journalism major at Franklin College.

Cripe was awarded the Franklin College Faculty Steering Committee Distinguished Service Award in 2000. In addition, he received the Indiana Scholastic Journalism Award, given by the department of journalism at Ball State University in 2004.

Cripe will be inducted during a ceremony on April 12 at Walden Inn near the DePauw University campus. Other 2008 inductees include Mike Ahern, Julie Inskeep, Jack Averitt and Ted Knap.

Among the criteria that must be met to be nominated, nominees must have been active in journalism for a number of years, must have contributed significantly to journalism as to the regard others have for journalism and their journalistic activities must have contributed to their communities and had an impact on a community’s political, social, economic or cultural life.

The Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame, created in 1966 by the Indiana professional chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), has been located at the historic East College on the DePauw campus since 1976, where the national society was founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi. The Hall recognizes those with significant Indiana ties who have demonstrated they are journalists of the highest distinction.

For more information contact Franklin College at (317) 738-8185.