{"id":22293,"date":"2021-05-24T18:09:49","date_gmt":"2021-05-24T23:09:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/?p=22293"},"modified":"2021-06-04T12:43:09","modified_gmt":"2021-06-04T16:43:09","slug":"five-to-be-inducted-into-the-marshall-university-school-of-journalism-and-mass-communications-hall-of-fame-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/news\/2021\/05\/five-to-be-inducted-into-the-marshall-university-school-of-journalism-and-mass-communications-hall-of-fame-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Five to be inducted into the School of Journalism and Mass Communications Hall of Fame"},"content":{"rendered":"
Marshall University’s W. Page Pitt School of\u00a0Journalism\u00a0and Mass Communications (SOJMC) Hall\u00a0of\u00a0Fame is welcoming five new members.<\/p>\n

Steve Cotton, Brent Cunningham, Jack Houvouras, Mike Kirtner and Virginia Sherlock will be inducted into the hall during a ceremony this fall.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m impressed every time,\u201d said Janet Dooley, retiring\u00a0SOJMC\u00a0director and associate dean of the College of Arts and Media. \u201cI know our JMC grads often excel in the media industry, but reviewing the exceptional credentials of the Hall of Fame nominations each year is remarkable.<\/p>\n

“The number of nominations, the breadth of their experiences and their contributions to media demonstrate why selecting an induction class is such a challenge. I\u2019m delighted to welcome this year\u2019s inductees.”<\/p>\n

The\u00a0first class was enshrined in 1985, and the latest honorees brings the number of inductees to 78.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year\u2019s class of inductees is another perfect example that proves Marshall has one of the best journalism and mass communications programs in the country,\u201d said Chris Dickerson, president of the\u00a0SOJMC\u00a0Alumni Advisory\u00a0Board, which\u00a0handles the nomination process. \u201cWe\u2019re fortunate to have such a rich pool of candidates that represents successes in varied aspects of the field locally, regionally and nationally.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are extremely proud of all of our graduates, and it is an honor to welcome five more very deserving members to our Hall of Fame.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cotton, a 1995\u00a0graduate of the\u00a0SOJMC\u00a0master\u2019s program, is known to most people as \u201cThe Voice of The Herd\u201d for his play-by-play work for Learfield\/IMG College broadcasts of Marshall football, men\u2019s basketball and baseball games. He has been honored as the West Virginia Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association 14 times, more than anyone in state history. He will start his 26th<\/sup> season as the radio voice of the Herd and 29th<\/sup> season overall with Marshall this fall. He called his 300th<\/sup> Herd football game in 2019 and his 1,000th<\/sup> overall Marshall broadcast in 2020.<\/p>\n

Cunningham, a 1988 SOJMC graduate, currently is executive editor of the Food & Environment Reporting Network. He previously has written for the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Nation, Pacific Standard, Lapham\u2019s Quarterly, Vox, CNN.com, Nieman Reports and the Charleston Daily Mail. He spent 15 years as a media critic while serving as managing editor of the Columbia Journalism Review. His critical writing about the media was included in the anthology \u201cOur Unfree Press: One Hundred Years of Radical Media Criticism.\u201d<\/p>\n

Houvouras, a 1988 SOJMC graduate, founded HQ Publishing Company and started Huntington Quarterly magazine a year after graduation. The company now produces six magazines covering topics such as education, health care and law. He established the John H. Houvouras Scholarship for SOJMC students. He also has served as summer games director of the West Virginia Special Olympics and president of the board of Little Victories Animal Rescue. Houvouras also is a graduate of Leadership West Virginia and a past honoree as an entrepreneur by both the West Virginia Small Business Administration and the Herald-Dispatch.<\/p>\n

Kirtner, a 1973 SOJMC graduate, is the co-founder and president and CEO of Kindred Communications. After a few years of moving up and down the radio dial locally and elsewhere (including serving as an advisor with Marshall\u2019s broadcast department), Kirtner returned to Huntington in 1992 and created Kindred. The company now includes six radio stations and Kindred Digital and maintains a presence in the community as the flagship for Thundering Herd sports broadcast. Kirtner is a member of the West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame and was given the Distinguished Service to Marshall University award in 2019.<\/p>\n

Sherlock, a 1970 SOJMC graduate, already was a seasoned reporter when she became a desk supervisor at the Associated Press in New York less than four years after graduating. That feat is even more impressive realizing female journalists then mostly wrote for the \u201cwomen\u2019s pages.\u201d She played a key role in updating the AP Stylebook during her time there, including changes to how women were referenced in stories. After her journalism career, Sherlock obtained a real estate license and eventually a law degree. She is now a partner in an environmental law firm in Stuart, Florida. She is the daughter of W. Page Pitt, the founder of the SOJMC.<\/p>\n

Five new members were added to the Hall of Fame last year, but COVID-19 protocols forced last year\u2019s event to be canceled. Bill Bissett, Tony Crutchfield, Chris Fabry, Dan Hollis and Susan Nicholas will be honored at this fall\u2019s induction ceremony as well.<\/p>\n

Bissett, a 1997\u00a0graduate of the\u00a0SOJMC\u00a0Master\u2019s program, is president and CEO of the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce. He also has served as Chief of Staff and Senior Vice President for Communications of Marshall University under the late President Stephen J. Kopp. He also was President of the Kentucky Coal Association. He is a Huntington native, a United States Army veteran and holds three degrees from Marshall (BA 1992, Ed.D. 2014).<\/p>\n

Crutchfield, a 1982\u00a0SOJMC\u00a0graduate, is Senior Vice President of Army Systems, Defense, Space and Security with Boeing. He served in the U.S. Army with distinction, rising to the rank of Lieutenant General. He also is a member of the Board of Society of Yeager Scholars, and he is involved in other types of service to the university.<\/p>\n

Fabry, a 1982\u00a0SOJMC\u00a0graduate, is a best-selling author and an award-winning broadcaster. Primarily focusing his work on family and Christian issues, the Culloden native has written more than 80 books \u2013 including titles that have landed him on The New York Times best-seller lists \u2013 and has hosted national radio programs for more than 35 years.<\/p>\n

Hollis has been a member of the\u00a0SOJMC\u00a0faculty since 1999. He has inspired countless former students to become journalists, and he continues to produce award-winning video projects as well. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana and has a master\u2019s degree from the University of Kentucky. He has received numerous awards and honors during his two decades at Marshall, most recently the Hedrick Outstanding Faculty Award.<\/p>\n

Nicholas, a 1990\u00a0SOJMC\u00a0graduate, currently is an anchor for WSAZ\u2019s First Look at Four, but she has been a fixture in local broadcasting for more than 30 years. The Milton native also previously worked at WOWK-TV and has helped the\u00a0SOJMC\u00a0in a variety of ways over the years, such as hosting last year\u2019s Hall of Fame induction ceremony.<\/p>\n

Inductees need to have a connection to the\u00a0SOJMC, such as being a graduate or a faculty member, and should meet at least one of two major criteria to be nominated:<\/p>\n