The Perry and Alicia O'Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism at Marquette University fosters excellence in journalism and improves the quality of news and information reaching the American public.
The Perry and Alicia O'Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism at Marquette University fosters excellence in journalism and improves the quality of news and information reaching the American public.
Journalists have long sought to expose the most pressing problems of the day — reporting on conflicts, corruption and the controversies that surround them.
But shouldn’t potential solutions be part of the story?
That’s a guiding principle behind the Perry and Alicia O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism, offered through Marquette University’s J. William and Mary Diederich College of Communication: Journalism that investigates problems and the best practices known to address them. Journalism that encourages progress rather than cynicism. Not advocacy. Not good news. But expert, in-depth, professional reporting that provides context and adds knowledge so a well-informed, self-governing public can make adjustments and improvements.
It’s journalism that uncovers solutions, as well as problems.
Hal Bernton, The Seattle Times
Hal Bernton has been a reporter with The Seattle Times since 2000. He received the Gerald R. Ford Prize for national defense reporting in 2013 and was a Pulitzer finalist in 2003 for his work with other Seattle Times reporters on “The Terrorist Within.” In 1989, he was part of a team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for “People in Peril,” a series published by The Anchorage Daily News about Alaska’s native peoples.
Dan Egan, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Dan Egan has been covering the Great Lakes for The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel since 2003. He was a Pulitzer finalist for explanatory reporting in both 2013 and 2010. Egan won the Oakes Award for environmental journalism in 2006 and has received four National Headliner Awards for environmental and science reporting.
Lillian Thomas, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Lillian Thomas is assistant managing editor of special projects at The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Since late 2012, her investigative team has broken dozens of stories about a federal investigation of the city of Pittsburgh that led to charges against the police chief, who resigned, and now has begun to focus on the city’s mayor. Thomas has also been a reporter, city editor and Sunday editor for The Post-Gazette.
Backed by the resources of Marquette University and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, O’Brien Fellows will spend nine months researching, reporting and writing the stories they care most deeply about — stories with the potential to change policies and improve lives. This fully funded fellowship allows newsroom professionals to do the best work of their careers on issues of vital importance while they also mentor the next generation of journalists.
During fellowship, fellows will:
The O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism will provide three fellows with the following:
What could you cover in a yearlong project? O’Brien Fellows are fully funded and return to their newsrooms with a world-class project and a paid Marquette student intern for one summer semester. In addition, all research and articles are presented at an annual conference.
Selection of the O’Brien Fellows in Public Service Journalism will be based on
Selection of fellows in the first year of the fellowship will be conducted informally; in subsequent years, applicants will formally submit materials in January and be notified in March about acceptance to the program.
Peter and Patricia Frechette, of Minneapolis, donated $8.3 million to the Marquette University Diederich College of Communication in honor of Patricia's parents, Perry and Alicia O'Brien. Perry and Alicia graduated from Marquette in 1936 and 1935, with degrees in journalism and liberal arts. The couple designated the gift toward the launch of "The Perry and Alicia O'Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism." Patricia's father, Perry, was a longtime reporter with the Janesville Daily Gazette.
Perry O’Brien was a consummate field reporter and staff photographer for the Janesville Daily Gazette, having the proverbial “finger on the pulse” of all things in Janesville and its environs. From the aftermath of WWII through the 1950s, he covered stories that defined the everyday life of his neighbors and fellow citizens. Perry mastered the art and science of journalism as a 1936 Marquette grad. But it was a personal connection with the local community — and genuine care for it — that underscored his stories and framed the images he took. Perry’s reach extended well beyond Janesville Daily Gazette by-lines. On most days at 1:30 p.m., locals tuned into 1230 AM radio WCLO to hear Perry — the secretary of the Wisconsin Breeders and Harness Horse Association— deliver his patented, “They’re off and trotting!” call from the Elkhorn track. And Perry’s contributions on behalf of his beloved community and the good of society at large shone through his commitment as admissions director of Rock County’s Milton College, a prominent institution founded in 1844 that closed in 1982. From journalism to higher education, Perry was a man who valued and promoted the things that build a strong community.
In 1934, her senior year, Alicia Sexton served on the Marquette University Coed Board, the executive committee of the central women’s organization on campus at the time known as the Coed Club. Though women had been allowed to attend the university as early as 1909—Marquette was the first Catholic university to do so—the cultural transition took time and effort. The Coed Club was formed in 1919 to “encourage coeducation at Marquette.” By Alicia’s day, the club was going strong with 13 members on the board representing each college of the university; Alicia represented the College of Liberal Arts. This busy organization took on a number of duties including welcoming female freshmen, coordinating homecoming activities, sponsoring charity parties and managing Marquette’s Mother Daughter banquet. Alicia in particular headed the board’s “sick committee,” which was responsible for visiting Coed Club members who had fallen ill and looking after their needs. Alicia was also a member of Chi Sigma Chi, “one of the first sororities on campus in scholastic rating.” The sorority encouraged academic excellence among its members and awarded a laurel pin to the sister with the highest grade point average each semester.
For more information about the O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism contact:
Herbert Lowe
Professional in Residence
Director, Journalism for Social Change
Diederich College of Communication
Marquette University
P.O. Box 1881
Milwaukee, WI 53201
herbert.lowe@marquette.edu
(414) 288-4068
George Stanley
Vice President/Managing Editor
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
gstanley@jrn.com
(414) 224-2248