On Monday, March 20, W. M. Kiplinger, who passed in 1967, was named a Joan Herrold Wood Award for Lifetime Commitment winner and Ohio Communication Hall of Fame inductee. Knight Kiplinger, W. M.’s grandson, accepted the honors on his behalf during the kickoff of the 50th anniversary of the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Reporting in Columbus, Ohio.
“W. M. Kiplinger was a native Ohioan and accomplished journalist, but it was my pleasure to recognize him with the special distinction of the Joan Herrold Wood Award for Lifetime Commitment, an award the college reserves for its most generous and prolific donors,” said Dean Scott Titsworth. “Because of W. M.’s belief that journalists needed time to recharge and continue their education, the Kiplinger Program this year celebrates its 50th year and the training and care of an estimated 3,000 journalists through the world, impacting countless of news organizations and those they serve. We are honored to host this meaningful and important program at Ohio University.”
W. M. Kiplinger, a 1912 graduate of the Ohio State University, served as an Associated Press economics reporter in the Wilson administration and founded the
Kiplinger Washington Letter (1923) and Kiplinger Magazine, now known as Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine (1947). He was the founder of the Kiplinger Family Foundation and the inspiration of the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Reporting.
The Kiplinger Foundation has evolved from a 12-month graduate degree program to shorter iterations over the year, now bringing journalists together for a weeklong workshop. The program, founded in 1973 at Ohio State University, was moved to Ohio University in 2019.
“The honoring of this great journalism son of Ohio is long overdue, and I am delighted that W. M. Kiplinger is getting this recognition,” said Knight Kiplinger, after accepting the award. “He spent his boyhood in Dayton and Bellefontaine, and his mother lived in Toledo all her life. He was very proud of his deep Ohio roots. It’s appropriate that the Kiplinger Program be centered in Ohio and in the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University.”
Seventeen 2023 Kiplinger Fellows hailing from countries such as Ukraine, Pakistan, Nepal and others were present for the ceremony at the Columbus Marriott Hotel, where this year’s event kicked off with remarks from Knight Kiplinger and Columbus-based journalists. The Kiplinger Fellows boarded a bus to the main campus of Ohio University in Athens on Tuesday, March 21, to finish out the week with local journalists, where they will also spend time with the Scripps College of Communication Dean’s Advisory Council and students.
“Although there are fellowships with more clout, largest endowments and displaying more global prestige, Kiplinger remains one of the few which can command the attention of busy professional journalists who want to get away from a newsroom to recharge, rejuvenate and re-educate,” said Kiplinger Program Executive Director Kevin Smith. “It’s an honor for me to be a part of this program, and I’m glad W. M. Kiplinger is being recognized by the college for his accomplishments and journalism legacy.”
For 2023 Kiplinger Fellow Lisa MacGregor, anchor of Global News Morning Weekend, in Edmonson, the capital city of Alberta, Canada, the program offers the chance to connect and recharge with journalists from throughout the world and to learn about their day-to-day work.
“This fellowship is such a unique opportunity, to hear from different experts in journalism and be educated daily on relevant topics. I’m getting answers and solutions to issues I constantly run into in the field while also getting my passion for journalism reinvigorated,” MacGregor said. “Mr. Knight Kiplinger added so much insight to discussions and reminded me of why I chose this career and the importance of journalism. The Kiplinger Fellowship is truly a privilege.”
The Ohio Communication Hall of Fame was established by the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University in 1993. So far, 37 individuals and two foundations make up the Hall of Fame, and those names are etched into a permanent display on the main floor of the Schoonover Center for Communication. They include award-winning journalists, the producer of the Grammy awards, entrepreneurs, and other media leaders.
Additionally, in 2003, the Joan Herrold Wood Award for Lifetime Commitment was established as part of the Ohio Communication Hall of Fame. This award honors alumna Joan Herrold Wood and other donors who have had a positive and lasting impact on Ohio University.
Communication professionals who are not graduates of Ohio University may be nominated and inducted.