NKU founding professor Lois Sutherland inducted into journalism hall of fame

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Monday - July 9, 2012


HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Long-time Northern Kentucky University communications professor Lois Sutherland was posthumously inducted into the Cincinnati Society of Professional Journalists Hall of Fame last month.

Sutherland was a founding faculty member at NKU. She began teaching English and journalism at UK's Northern Community College in Covington. She was a charter member of Northern Kentucky State College's founding faculty, serving as its first journalism instructor and founding adviser of its student newspaper.

In 1977, after NKU had been granted university status and was large enough to establish a Communication Department, Sutherland was named interim department chair and guided its first year of operation. It was during this period that faculty colleagues dubbed her "a female Lou Grant" for her resemblance in attitude as well as appearance to the crusty news editor with a heart of gold portrayed by Ed Asner in two 1970s TV series.

In all, she worked six decades as a newspaper reporter, high school teacher, journalism professor, student newspaper adviser and freelance writer. She had a tremendous impact on generations of young journalists. Sutherland retired from NKU in 1987 and her name lives on at NKU in the form of an annual award presented to an outstanding member of the student newspaper (The Northerner) staff.

Sutherland was born in rural Campbell County on April 3, 1921. She died April 26, 2002, only four months after her beloved husband Bill passed away.

She was also posthumously inducted into the University of Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in 2010.

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