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Peter Jacobi (BSJ52, MSJ53) – Medill Professor and Associate Dean

Peter Jacobi (BSJ52, MSJ53), former longtime Medill professor and associate dean, died on December 24, 2019. He was 89. Jacobi was a member of the inaugural class of the Medill Hall of Achievement of 1997 and served on the Medill faculty from 1955 to 1981. He joined the journalism faculty at Indiana University in 1985.

Jacobi’s two guidebooks, “The Magazine Article: How to Think It, Plan It, Write It” and “Writing with Style: The News Story and the Feature,” are standard reference sources for journalists. In 2006 Jacobi received the School of Continuing Studies Teaching Excellence Award from Indiana University.

Jacobi was professor emeritus of journalism at Indiana University and a regular reviewer/contributor to The Herald-Times in Bloomington up until his death.

The final installment of his local newspaper column, “Music Beat,” appeared on Dec. 15, 2019 and previewed that afternoon’s Bloomington Chamber Singers’ performance of George Frideric Handel’s oratorio “Messiah.”

Peter Paul Jacobi was born March 15, 1930, in Berlin and came to the United States at age 8.

Jacobi joined the Medill faculty in 1955, working his way up from a professional lecturer to his position as associate dean. After leaving Medill in 1985, he worked as a consultant before joining the Indiana faculty where the taught until receiving emeritus status in 2017.
Jacobi was a member of the American Association of University Professors, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Society of Professional Journalists, Arts Midwest, the Bloomington Community Arts Commission and the Indiana Arts Commission, where he was chairman from 1990 to 1993.

He is survived by two sons, Keith Jacobi and Wyn Jacobi, and three grandchildren. Jacobi’s wife, Hattie, whom he met more than 70 years ago, died on Sept. 30, 2019.

Faculty remembrances of Peter Jacobi:
Roger Boye, Associate Professor Emeritus-in-Service
Peter Jacobi was a master teacher, a brilliant lecturer, the proverbial “scholar and a gentleman.” Generations of Medill students owe so much to this man.
I once heard him give a lecture in mid summer in an un-airconditioned room with no slides or visual aids to nearly 100 people who listened in rapt attention for 90 minutes. He was that good.
In 1972, he did a piece for Quill magazine on what it means to be a teacher of journalism, still the best article of its kind ever written. Subconsciously, he must have been describing himself when he wrote:
“To be a journalism teacher at college or high school level, one must be alert to life and living, an embracer of imagination, open to suggestion, free and careful with advice, scholarly in one’s approach to constant and persistent learning.

“A teacher who truly teaches is unsparing of time and the expenditure of energy toward students, helpful, encouraging, young in thought and receptivity, gently authoritative, flexible, never satisfied with himself.
“The journalism teacher has learned to practice his profession and continues to practice it; he does not teach from textbooks. He’s thought about journalism’s glories and its flaws. He has the missionary zeal to improve a human activity that he loves.”
Just a few weeks before the 1978 national convention of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), the speaker for the awards banquet cancelled, leaving organizers scrambling for a replacement. They asked Peter Jacobi based entirely on his reputation; they had never before heard him speak. And as the big event drew closer, they began second-guessing their decision. But Peter did not let them down. He received a rousing standing ovation from several hundred journalists—the only one of six major speakers during that convention so honored. The Quill magazine ran his speech as its cover story in January 1979.
“In our search for the abnormal, the unusual, the eccentric, the different, don’t just look for those people and happenings that are abnormally bad, usually awful, eccentrically negative, differently evil,” he told the convention. “Look for what and who are abnormally good, unusually useful, abnormally fascinating, differently inspirational. Look for good news, in other words, not just bad. But look for news more than we look for pap.”
He also called on journalists to “love words. Sure, appreciate pictures, film, tape. But love words. As long as we remember the value of words and fight viciously against cheapening them, then we’re likely to treat the press with the kind of respect that defeats abuse. Looking toward tomorrow, abuse abuse. In fact, stamp it out.”

David Nelson, Associate Professor Emeritus
In 1964 I learned to take risks in writing: Peter Jacobi taught that class. In 1968 I learned that in any creative craft it’s OK to make a fool of yourself as you experiment and grow in that effort: Peter Jacobi taught that class. When I learned of his death, I remembered that Prof. Jacobi introduced me to Beethoven. Naturally, I played “Missa Solemnis” in tribute.

https://www.hoosiertimes.com/herald_times_online/news/local/journalist-and-music-reviewer-peter-jacobi-dies-at/article_31d5ca8a-2821-11ea-95c2-13a214232720.html

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1950s Class Notes

Chuck Remsberg (BSJ58,MSJ59)

Chuck Remsberg had an award for lifetime achievement named in his honor by the National Law Enforcement Officer Hall of Fame. He writes a monthly column for two police training websites and has authored four books on police tactics that are widely used in officer training.

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1970s Class Notes

Philip Lentz (BSJ72)

Philip Lentz was recently named Director of Speechwriting for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. He had an award-winning journalism career before moving into government. He was a political reporter for a number of publications, including the Philadelphia Bulletin, the Chicago Tribune and Crain’s New York Business. In politics, he served as press secretary for Paul Tsongas during his 1992 presidential campaign, and for NY Lt. Gov. Stan Lundine. He also served as a public relations executive for government agencies and New York University. As Director of Speechwriting, he oversees a five person team responsible for all of the governor’s public remarks.

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Class Notes

Philip A. Andrews (BSJ74)

Philip A. Andrews has been recognized for legal excellence and client service by the 2020 legal ranking guide, The Best Lawyers in America. Phil received top ranking for his work in the areas of Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, and Government Relations Practice. Phil is a business litigator, procurement lawyer, and Chairman of the law firm Kramon & Graham in Baltimore, Maryland.

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1970s Class Notes

Allan Gold (BSJ 77, MSJ78)

Allan Gold retired from McKinsey & Company after 22 years in the firm’s editorial and publishing group. He served on the board of editors and as editor-in-chief of the McKinsey Quarterly, the firm’s flagship publication. He also edited the McKinsey quarterly website, and worked as an executive editor in the firm’s publishing group.  He plans to stay in the thought leadership business on a project basis, and has also joined Chicago-based firm Leff Communication as a senior advisor.

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1980s Class Notes

Laura Guilfoyle (BSJ80)

Laura Guilfoyle has gathered her favorite short stories and poems about teaching fifth grade for a recently released book, “Survivin’ da Heights:  Tales from the Schoolyard.”  She has shared these stories with her students over the years and they are fan favorites.

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1980s Class Notes

Karen Williams (MSJ81)

Karen Williams is creator and co-host of the new classic soul music podcast The Back Cover.  The podcast, which provides new episodes weekly, explores topics related to music, production and the business behind classic soul music of the 60s, 70s and 80s. New episodes of the podcast will load every week. It can be found on Stitcher, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Apple podcast, Spotify and at http://backcover.libsyn.com.

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1980s Class Notes

John P. Miutz (MSJ82)

John P. Miutz was awarded the North America State and Provincial Lottery’s 2019 Powers Award for Performance Excellence for his 27 years of service as Advertising/Marketing Manager for the Michigan and Virginia Lotteries.

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1980s Class Notes

Lori Waldon (MSJ83)

Lori Waldon is President and General Manager of KOAT TV, ABC affiliate in Albuquerque-Santa Fe, New Mexico. In her role as President and General Manager she oversees an award-winning station with a strong reputation for journalistic excellence and outstanding community service.

Lori was promoted to her current position after serving as Regional Director of News for Hearst. She was also news director of KCRA/KQCA in Sacramento, California, where she led a nationally-recognized news operation. Under Lori’s leadership, the channel earned two prestigious national Edward R. Murrow Awards for Overall Excellence and Breaking News; six consecutive regional Murrows for Overall News Excellence; three consecutive Emmy Awards for News Excellence; and Emmys for Breaking News and Best Newscast.

Before joining KCRA, Lori was the news director at WISN 12 News in Milwaukee. Lori joined WISN-TV from Sacramento duopoly CBS 13/CW31, where she served as assistant news director.  She previously spent 13 years in news management roles at KPIX-TV in San Francisco, serving as managing editor, executive producer and news producer.  Prior to KPIX-TV, Lori worked as a news reporter at stations in Charlotte, North Carolina; Mobile, Alabama; and Peoria, Illinois.

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1980s 1990s Class Notes

Kathleen James (BSJ86, MSJ90)

Kathleen James was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in November 2018, representing the Bennington-4 district. A Democrat, she serves on the Education Committee and has been appointed to the New England Board of Higher Education and also to the NEBHE Legislative Advisory Council. She’s the co-vice-chair of the Climate Solutions Caucus and a member of the Social Equity Caucus and the Women’s Caucus. She’s a proud graduate of Emerge, a hands-on program that trains women Democrats to run for public office. She’s also the executive director of the nonprofit International Skiing History Association and editor of its bimonthly journal, Skiing History. James lives in Manchester Center with her wife, Alexandra Heintz. Her oldest daughter lives in Chicago and her younger daughter is a junior at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.