John Curley

The former president, chairman and CEO of Gannett Co. Inc. has been actively involved with the College of Communications since 1989 when then-Penn State President Bryce Jordan appointed him to the Board of Visitors for the College. In addition to having served as that board's chair for more than 10 years, he is currently chair of the Capital Campaign Committee in the College. He has supported College activities and has been a featured speaker on panels and in lectures.

He also served as founding co-director of the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism housed in the College of Communications.

He retired from Gannett in January 2001 after more than 30 years with the company. During that time, he served as an editor at the Rochester (N.Y.) Times-Union; as editor and later publisher of the Courier-News in Bridgewater, N.J.; and later as publisher of the News-Journal in Wilmington, Del.

He was head of Gannett News Service, during which time the news service won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. The first editor of USA Today, Curley was a member of Gannett's Board of Directors from 1983 until his retirement. In May 1996, he was selected as chairman of the Newspaper Association of America and in 1999 he was made an honorary alumnus of Penn State. He teaches courses in news writing, specialty reporting and issues in journalism.