The Journalism program at Denison extends grateful appreciation to:
Sue Douthit O’Donnell ’67
In March of 2018, Sue Douthit O’Donnell ’67 provided an extraordinary gift to Denison that funded extensive renovations for the William Doane Library and Denison’s narrative nonfiction concentration, the forebear of today’s Journalism major and minor.
The Mellon Foundation
In March of 2018, The Mellon Foundation provided a grant of $700,000 for Denison’s “Writing in Place” initiative, which supports the work of Journalism at Denison.
“Writing in Place” brings the practice of narrative writing to classrooms across campus. Assignments send students into the community, linking classroom learning with lived experience and inspiring them to think critically and find common ground. Denison students gather data, make hands-on observations, interview, and survey individuals and groups, as they write about a wide range of topics spanning the disciplines.
The “Writing in Place” initiative builds on Denison’s curricular major or minor in Journalism, a program that teaches students to combine literary storytelling with in-depth, fact-based research. Journalism is designed for students from all majors who want a structured opportunity for hands-on experience along with exposure to potential career paths — from science writing to writing that spotlights the public humanities.
Generous Denison alumni who support the program, including:
- Hugh Fullerton ‘64
- Barbara Huestis Jones ‘63
- Ralph H. Lindeman ’71, who created the Ralph H. Lindeman (Class of 1971) Endowed Fund for Journalism
- Jean Luce, in memory of her husband and alumnus H. Thomas Luce ‘55
- Keith McWalter ‘71