Five graduates of Marshall University’s W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications (SOJMC) are being inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame.
Betsy Alderman, Andrea Billups, Frank Giardina, Todd Marcum and Jerry Tipton officially will be inducted during a ceremony this fall.
“The five alumni being inducted into our Hall of Fame have had distinguished and impressive careers in mass communications,” said Chris Dickerson, president of the SOJMC Alumni Advisory Board, which handled the nomination process. “Each of them have left a mark on their profession and have been influential to others in their trade. They are proud alums of Marshall University and the school, and they are so deserving of this honor.”
The Hall of Fame was established in the 1970s and currently has 58 people enshrined. Last year induction ceremony attracted more than 200 guests.
“It is both frustrating and rewarding each time we consider nominations for the Hall of Fame,” said Janet Dooley, associate dean of the College of Arts and Media and SOJMC director. “Seeing the pool of deserving candidates and the variety of their contributions is enjoyable, but paring down to a few inductees is a challenge. It’s gratifying to note how many have achieved national prominence and to recognize those who have achieved distinction in this region.”
Alderman, a 1979 SOJMC graduate who earned a master’s degree from the school in 1981, was head of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Department of Communication from 2010 until her retirement in 2016. Before she went to UTC in 1993, she was a faculty member at Marshall for two years and the adviser for The Parthenon for five years.
Billups, a 1983 SOJMC graduate, worked as a national political and features correspondent for the Washington Times before moving to People magazine. She also has done work for the Washington Post, Reader’s Digest, Money magazine, Glamour and more. Most recently, she co-founded Be Brilliant Bags.
Giardina, a 1976 SOJMC graduate, is known to many as the radio “Voice of the Herd” for more than a decade. He went on to work at East Carolina and Penn State in similar posts, as well as work for ESPN and Sirius XM radio, among others. He now writes a weekly column about West Virginia athletes for the Charleston Gazette-Mail.
Marcum, a 1984 SOJMC graduate, is a co-founder of Access, one of Virginia’s most successful advertising agencies. He and his agency have won numerous local, regional and national awards. In 2015, Marcum was awarded the prestigious American Advertising Federation’s Silver Medal Award.
Tipton, a 1973 SOJMC graduate, has been the Lexington Herald-Leader’s beat writer for the University of Kentucky men’s basketball program since 1981. He has won numerous awards during his career, and he already is a member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame.
Inductees need to have a connection to the SOJMC, such as being a graduate or a faculty member, and should meet at least one of two major criteria to be nominated:
- A graduate of Marshall’s JMC program who has contributed to Journalism and Mass Communications as a profession. The nominee has made a contribution to the profession of journalism or has made a positive impact upon the profession.
- Contribution(s) to Marshall University’s SOJMC. The nominee, either through talent, treasure or activity, has made an outstanding impact upon the school.
More details about this fall’s induction ceremony will be released at a later date.
For more information or questions about the SOJMC Hall of Fame, please contact the school at sojmc@marshall.edu.
