Awards

Thomas Hart Benton Mural Medallion - 2002

Program in Honor of Scripps Howard Family

Bloomington, Indiana

Presenter: Myles Brand

About Roy W. Howard Family

Roy Wilson Howard (1883-1966) was one of the most notable journalists of the twentieth century. He served the news industry competently as a reporter, editor, businessman, and publisher. His first job in the industry was delivering papers in Indianapolis. He started reporting the news for the Indianapolis News as a high school correspondent for Manual Training High School. He graduated in 1902, and became a full-time reporter for the same paper before moving on to the Indianapolis Star as the sports editor. Howard then worked as the telegraphy editor at the Post-Dispatch in St. Louis for a short time before moving on to the Cincinnati Post as the managing editor. He then became the special newspaper correspondent in New York for the Cincinnati Post before moving to the Scripps-McRae newspaper chain in 1906. He served as the general news manager to the newly formed United Press, where he also served as president from 1912 to 1920, and was chairman of the board in 1921. He departed the same year to become the chairman of the board and business director of the Scripps-McRae newspaper chain. Howard along with Robert P. Scripps gained co-directorship of the chain in 1925, and changed the chain name to Scripps-Howard. Howard served as president of the chain from 1936 to 1952, and chairman of the executive committee from 1953 until he passed away in 1964.

The Scripps Howard Foundation, along with Roy Howard's children, established the Roy W. Howard Archive at the Indiana University School of Journalism (now The Media School) in 1983. The Archive is a searchable collection of 14,000 letters and memorabilia on Howard’s lifelong career in journalism.

On October 14, 2002, the family of Roy Howard was honored with the Thomas Hart Benton Mural Medallion award for their support of the IU School of Journalism (now The Media School). IU President Myles Brand bestowed the award for the first time to a family during the dedication of the Scripps Howard Foundation Suite, the Roy W. Howard Archive, and the Scripps Howard Foundation Digital Imaging Lab at IU Bloomington.