In Memoriam: John Louis Dotson Jr., 1937-2013

dotsonJohn L. Dotson, who was the president and publisher of the Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper, the Akron Beacon Journal, died late last month at his home in Boulder, Colorado, after a battle with cancer. He was 76 years old.

Dotson was a native of Paterson, New Jersey, and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism at Temple University in Philadelphia. He worked as a newspaper reporter for the Detroit Free Press and the Newark Evening News, before joining the staff at Newsweek magazine. In 1983, Dotson became the publisher of the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colorado, and in 1992 because publisher of the Akron Beacon Journal. In 1994 the paper won the Pulitzer Prize for public service for its five-part series entitled “A Question of Color.” He retired as publisher of the newspaper in 2001.

In 1977, Dotson was one of nine journalists who founded what is now the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education in Oakland, California. Among its programs is the Maynard Media Academy which is an intensive immersion program in entrepreneurial leadership and management that is operated in conjunction with the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

Graduate Enrollment Surges at Winston-Salem State University

In fall 2024, Winston-Salem State University enrolled 244 new graduate students, an increase of 31.2 percent from the prior year. The HBCU now enrolls nearly 600 graduate students.

Two Black Women College Presidents Announce Their Retirements

Gilda Barbino, president of Olin College of Engineering, and Soraya Coley, president of Cal Poly, Pomona, have announced their plans to retire at the end of this academic year. Both Dr. Barbino and Dr. Coley are the first woman presidents of their institutions.

Norfolk State University to Construct a $118 Million STEM Facility

As part of an ongoing $90 million fundraising campaign, Norfolk State University has announced plans to establish a 131,000-square-foot STEM building to advance its research capabilities and science academic programming.

Two Black Men Selected for Academic Appointments at Universities

The faculty members with new appointments are Christopher Small at Florida State University and Dwight McBride at Washington University in St. Louis.

Featured Jobs