LSU’s Manship School to Induct Three New Hall of Fame Members at Gala

January 22, 2019
Baton Rouge, LA - LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication will honor the accomplishments of three distinguished mass communication professionals as they are inducted to the Manship School Hall of Fame at its annual gala in April. In its 45th year, the Manship School Hall of Fame gala honors alumni and supporters who have achieved outstanding accomplishments in their careers. From Pulitzer Prize winners to political analysts to writers to producers, the Hall of Fame includes some of the most accomplished journalists and communication experts of our time.

The 2019 inductees are Frank Donze, Kim Hunter Reed, Ph.D. and Lyn Rollins.

The late Frank Donze, a 1977 graduate of the Manship School, served as the “dean” of New Orleans political reporters and was with the Audubon Nature Institute at the time of his passing. He learned the ropes at The Daily Reveille as a sports editor before graduating from LSU and beginning his career at The Times-Picayune as New Orleans City Hall reporter. With historical depth and keen social insight, he chronicled his hometown for decades. He covered five mayoral administrations and along the way some of the city's most challenging chapters. Donze was a member of The Times-Picayune team that won two Pulitzer Prizes, a George Polk Award, a National Headliner Award and the Medill Award for Courage in Journalism for coverage of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.

Kim Hunter Reed, Ph.D. received a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from LSU in 1987. She is Louisiana’s Commissioner of Higher Education. Her appointment in April of 2018 made Reed the only female in the country currently serving as a state higher education lead who has led higher ed in more than one state. Reed has extensive higher education and government experience. Prior to being named Commissioner, Reed served as executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education. A Lake Charles native, she served in President Barack Obama’s administration as deputy undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Education, leading postsecondary diversity and inclusion work, supporting strong student and outcomes-focused policies and aggressive national outreach efforts. In 2015, Reed chaired Louisiana’s higher education transition team and served as the State’s policy director. Reed also served as chief of staff and deputy commissioner for public affairs for the Louisiana Board of Regents and executive vice president of the University of Louisiana System.

Lyn Rollins, who received a master’s in journalism from LSU in 1988, is believed to have called more televised college baseball games than any other announcer in the country. He has been the lead play by play broadcaster for SEC and ESPN coverage of LSU Sports since its inception. In addition, Rollins has been a Cox Sports Television play-by-play voice since 2003 and was the primary play-by-play broadcaster for Jumbo Sports’ groundbreaking telecasts of LSU baseball and other state schools beginning with LSU coverage in 1994, continuing spot duty today. He has completed state high school game of the week telecasts, hundreds of high school football radio broadcasts, and has called a range of sports including soccer, gymnastics, softball, soccer and volleyball collegiately, primarily for LSU coverage on various networks. He is a four-time Louisiana Sportscaster of the Year and is a 2018 inductee in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as a recipient of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism. 

  • What: 45th Annual Manship School Hall of Fame Gala
  • Where: Juban’s Creole Restaurant, 3739 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808
  • When: Wednesday, April 10, 2019: 6:00 p.m.: Cocktail reception; 7:00 p.m.: Seated dinner
  • Who: Inductee Frank Donze, Inductee Kim Hunter Reed, Ph.D. and Inductee Lyn Rollins
  • Tickets: For tickets, contact Ashley Mick at amick@lsufoundation.org. 

About the Hall of Fame

Created in 1975, the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication Hall of Fame honors alumni, faculty and friends whose distinguished careers have contributed to or reflect credit on the various academic programs in the School.

All Hall of Fame inductees have demonstrated outstanding professional or public service leadership, a tangible connection to the Manship School of Mass Communication, either as an alum or a strong supporter of the school and its mission, and a personal reputation for outstanding character and citizenship. Find a full list of honorees here.

For more information, contact smalin@lsu.edu. 

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LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication ranks among the strongest collegiate communication programs in the country, with its robust emphasis on media and public affairs. It offers undergraduate degrees in public relations, journalism, political communication, digital advertising and pre-law, along with four graduate degree programs: master of mass communication, Ph.D. in media and public affairs, certificate of strategic communication, and dual MMC/law degree. Its public relations students were recently ranked the #1 team in the nation, and its digital advertising and student media teams frequently earn national recognition.

 

 

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