New Members Inducted into UA Student Media Hall of Fame

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Student Media Hall of Fame at The University of Alabama recently inducted new members during an awards ceremony.

Student Media Hall of Fame inductees included:

Bob Cohn, editor of the 1959-1960 Crimson White (CW), UA student newspaper. Cohn, a 1960 UA graduate, co-founded Cohn & Wolfe, an international public relations firm based in Atlanta and with offices around the world. Established by Cohn and Norman Wolfe in 1970, Cohn & Wolfe was acquired by Young & Rubican in 1984. Cohn went on to found Atlanta-based integrated marketing communications firm 360, for which he served as chairman. 360 became Gray Global Atlanta after being purchased by the Gray Global Group in February of 2002. Cohn has also served as executive vice president of Burson-Marsteller, marketing director for Super Bowl XXVII, a member of the Metropolitan Atlanta Olympic Games Authority and UA’s National Campaign Steering Committee.

Jim Oakley, a former CW staffer who graduated from UA in 1958. Oakley was publisher of the Centreville Press for more than 30 years before returning to the University as placement director for the College of Communication and Information Sciences in 1985. Oakley, who lives in Centreville, has served as president of the Alabama Press Association and has been the longtime chair of the Media Planning Board, which is the oversight committee that governs the University’s student-run media.

Jim Jacobson, CW editor in the 1957-1958 academic year, whose long career at The Birmingham News included being editor before retiring in 1997. Jacobson, of Trussville, is also a former chair of the UA Media Planning Board; Media Planning Board awards for photography, writing, editing and management are named in his honor.

In addition to recognizing alumni in the Hall of Fame, the work of students and staff involved in the University’s student-run media was also noted during the awards event.

Sophomore Chris Sanders of Smoke Rise won the Lewis Each award for the most valuable editorial staff member of the CW. Sanders was metro/state editor of the CW and will be news director in 2002-2003. The Lewis Each award is named for the late CW sports writer who inspired his co-workers and the University gymnastics team with his determination to work for the paper despite suffering from cystic fibrosis, which eventually took his life in 1998.

Stacy Whitlow of Metairie, La., was given the Jamie Tucker award for the most valuable advertising staff member. Whitlow, who was assistant art director of The CW, designed all of the special advertising supplements of the CW in 2001-2002. She has been named editor of the CW for 2002-2003. Jamie Tucker was an advertising sales representative who was killed in an automobile accident in 1996.

Other major awards went to the following students and staff members:

The James E. Jacobson award for writing went to Chris Sanders.

Madelyn Troyanek of Decatur won the Jacobson award for photography. Troyanek was a staff photographer for The CW.

Matt Supko of Huntsville won the Jacobson award for service. Supko has served as editor of the Marr’s Field Journal for the past two years.

Jeremy Adler of Birmingham (zip code 35242) won the Jacobson award for management. Adler has been and is currently the retail sales manager of the CW.

Michael Gillispie of Tuscaloosa and Jennifer Yarbrough of Tuscaloosa won the Walter C. Densmore award for meritorious service in business and marketing. Gillispie was sports director of WVUA-FM, New Rock 90.7. Yarbrough was classified advertising manager of the CW during the past academic year, and the previous two years.

David Goldberg of Tuscaloosa, managing editor of the Black Warrior Review, was given the James Oakley Chairman’s Award for service to the University’s student publications. Goldberg is pursuing an MFA in creative writing at UA and has degrees from Miami University and George Washington University.

Amy Foster of Tuscaloosa, program support assistant in the Office of Student Media, was given the Sarah Healey Award for service to the Media Planning Board.