EUGENE–An astonishing variety of fields and causes–from AIDS to Africa, from law to forest fires, from software to politics, and from newspapers to soap and higher education–are represented in the inaugural group of 14 distinguished alumni and faculty whose records of achievement will be inscribed in the new Hall of Achievement at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication.

The first inductees will be honored during a special dinner at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22 at Valley River Inn, 1000 Valley River Way, Eugene.

"Our alumni and faculty have talked for some time about how best to honor the remarkable accomplishments and contributions of our alumni in so many different fields," explained Tim Gleason, dean of the UO School of Journalism and Communication. "The members of the Hall of Achievement will serve as a daily reminder to our current students of their potential.

"As a result of a generous gift from The Register-Guard," Gleason explained, "the Hall of Achievement will be housed in a seminar room that is part of the ongoing Allen Hall renovation. Every day when students attend classes in this seminar room, they will see the accomplishments of these outstanding graduates and faculty."

Alumni selected for the Hall of Achievement include:

• Ed Artzt, ’51, chairman and chief executive officer of Procter & Gamble, who was elected to the American Advertising Hall of Achievement in 1995. He started his advertising career as an account executive for Procter & Gamble’s advertising agency in 1952. Artzt then moved swiftly through the ranks to the international firm’s top leadership post in 1990.

• Don Belding, ’19, founding partner of Foote, Cone & Belding advertising agency, was elected to the American Advertising Hall of Achievement in 1970. Belding formed the War Advertising Council in 1940 that later became the volunteer arm of the advertising industry. He personally directed the very successful Smokey Bear fire prevention campaign.

• Paul Brainerd, ’70, was founder and president of Aldus Corp., maker of PageMaker software that launched the desktop-publishing revolution. As a UO undergraduate, Brainerd fulfilled the requirements for a journalism major while earning his bachelor’s degree in business. After selling his firm to Adobe, Brainerd established a foundation to help protect Pacific Northwest wilderness and more recently founded the 130-member Social Venture Partners, an organization devoted to encouraging and supporting philanthropy for education and children’s issues.

• The Honorable Alfred T. Goodwin, ’47, J.D. ’51, senior justice and former chief judge of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, worked as a reporter and copy editor at The Register-Guard until he was awarded his law degree. In 1960, he was appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court and then appointed U.S. District Judge of Oregon before moving to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court.

• E. Palmer Hoyt, ’23, former publisher of The Oregonian and The Denver Post, is widely recognized as the man who built the Denver paper into one of the top 10 newspapers in the United States. Hoyt’s courage was evident in his leadership in a crusade of editorials denouncing the then popular and powerful Sen. Joseph McCarthy and his House Un-American Activities Committee.

• Helen Angell Kitchen, ’42, director of African Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., is one of the United States’ most respected and widely published authors on African affairs. After a writing position with Reader’s Digest, she moved to the State Department in 1951 as special assistant to the director of research and analysis where she received the Secretary of State’s Award for outstanding service. She has written eight books and numerous articles on Africa and the nation’s policy-making process and serves as a consultant for the U.S. Secretary of State’s Advisory Committee to South Africa.

• Tom McCall, ’36, former Oregon governor, received the 1962 Sigma Delta Chi award for outstanding documentary in the United States for "Pollution in Paradise." As governor from 1967—74, McCall is credited with saving Oregon’s beaches, with producing the nation’s first state land-use planning law and first bottle bill, and with the clean-up of the Willamette River.

• Lucile McDonald, ’19, author of popular fiction and history and pioneering woman journalist, wrote more than 20 books and co-authored another 13 texts on Washington history and children’s fiction. She was the first woman news editor for the Oregon Daily Emerald in 1917, the first woman news reporter in South America, the first woman copy editor in the Pacific Northwest, and the first woman telegraph editor, courthouse reporter and general news reporter in Oregon. She also was the first woman on a New York City rewrite desk. She spent 23 years of her 36-year journalism career at the Seattle Times.

• Richard Neuberger, ’35, former U.S. senator, newspaperman and nonfiction author, wrote or co-authored four history and political science texts and wrote for national magazines such as Harper’s, Saturday Evening Post, Life, Collier’s and Reader’s Digest. Neuberger was elected to the state legislature in 1941, to the state Senate in 1948 and to the United States Senate in 1955.

• Randy Shilts, ’75, reporter, author and pioneering crusader in the battle against AIDS, was the first reporter on a major metropolitan newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle, to tackle the controversial issues surrounding this modern plague. Shilts wrote the book, "And the Band Played On–AIDS: The First Five Years (1980-85)." His book later was developed into a television docu-drama and is credited with awakening the public to the reality of the epidemic and stirring political leaders to begin addressing the problem. Shilts also wrote "Conduct Unbecoming: Gays and Lesbians in the U.S. Military" that made the New York Times bestseller list.

• Fred Taylor, ’50, former executive editor of the Wall Street Journal, was a sportswriter with The Oregonian before joining the New York Bureau of the Wall Street Journal in 1955. Named executive editor in 1970, Taylor also oversaw the production and editorial content of "Wall Street Journal Report," a nationally syndicated television show. He now owns and manages The North Bend News, The Coquille Times and Prime Times, a monthly tabloid for seniors. He is a three-time Pulitzer Prize juror and was chairman of the 1992 Pulitzer jury for biography/autobiography.

Three former journalism deans, all who started their careers at Oregon as members of the journalism faculty, are included among the first inductees into the hall. They are:

• Eric Allen, who in 1916 became the school’s first dean, also held the position the longest. A perfectionist, he established rigorous educational requirements that helped propel the school into its leadership position as one of the top five programs in the nation. He also established the first graduate journalism program in the Northwest.

• Charles Duncan, who served as UO journalism dean from 1955 to 1971, also served as dean of the Colorado journalism school. After retiring from the UO faculty, Duncan launched a career as a newspaper columnist with The Register-Guard and wrote two books on Northwest history and edited a popularly selling book of his columns.

• George Turnbull, who served as dean from 1944 to 1948, began his UO career in 1917. Along with Allen, Turnbull is credited with laying the foundations of the school’s modern program and shaping the practice of journalism in the Northwest today. After retiring from the UO, he became a columnist for The Oregonian, an associate editor of the Albany Democrat-Herald and wrote four books on Northwest journalism and Oregon history.

Dean Gleason said he was grateful for the number of nominations the school received from alumni across the country and from professionals across the state who advocated so eloquently on behalf of their favorite communications giants.

"The names of those selected to inaugurate our Hall of Achievement all met the tests of leadership, achievement and outstanding contributions to their fields that the Blue Ribbon Hall of Achievement Selection Committee had set. The pool of nominees collected this year will be included in the selection of future years’ additions to the hall," he added.

"I am especially thankful for the hard work and careful research and deliberation conducted by the Blue Ribbon committee members, all of whom are very accomplished men and women in their respective fields," Gleason said.

Blue Ribbon Committee members included Tony Baker, publisher, The Register-Guard; Bruce Cappelli, president, Cappelli/Miles/Wiltz/Kelley of Portland; Jack Hart, managing editor, The Oregonian; Bill Hunter, publisher, Gresham Outlook; Anita Johnson, publisher, Eugene Weekly; Lauren Kessler, UO professor of journalism; Esther Nelson, product and brand communications regional director, US West Communications, Portland; Karl Nestvold, UO emeritus professor of journalism; and Jack Orchard of Ball Janik, Novak, Portland.

Ex-officio committee members included Mick Scott, senior partner, Scott/Edstrom & Partners, Wilsonville; and Jennifer King, assistant dean, UO School of Journalism and Communication.

Black tie is optional for the Oct. 22 dinner and program. It will be preceded by a reception at
6 p.m. Tickets are $50 each.

Contact King at (541) 346-5847 for reservations or more information.

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