LSU Manship School Remembers Beloved Journalist, Longtime Supporter Donna Britt

January 25, 2021

We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of beloved former WAFB-TV journalist Donna Britt. Her passion and support for our students and the School were second to none. Britt passed away Jan. 21, 2021, after battling Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS). She was 62 years old.

For nearly four decades, Britt appeared as an on-air anchor on WAFB. She retired June 13, 2018, nearly one year after publicly announcing her diagnosis. Over the course of 38 years, Britt, who graduated from LSU in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in music education, reported on countless news events across Louisiana.

In 2020, Britt was honored as an inductee of the Manship School Hall of Fame. She served on the LSU Student Media Board for several years, getting to know future editors and station managers for the Reveille, Gumbo, Legacy, KLSU and Tiger TV.

Britt also mentored Manship School students as interns at WAFB and through the LSU International Hospitality Foundation’s Friendship Host Program. She was one of the first in the media to help promote the "Fight for Five" campaign our public relations students organized to save children diagnosed with pediatric cancer. Britt has been recognized with countless awards for her work, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters, as well as a Suncoast Regional EMMY award for human interest and best newscast.

The former disc jockey for WYNK-AM was an active member of the Baton Rouge community. She served on the Salvation Army’s Community Board for 17 years, in addition to serving on boards for the Baranco-Clark YMCA, the Southern University Art Museum, the Baton Rouge Ballet Theater and the Louisiana Association for Arts in Education. For 10 years, she volunteered at Progress Elementary School. Additionally, she composed music and wrote the scripts for the Louisiana Public Broadcasting instructional series “Gumbo Island” and “Enviro-Tacklebox.”

We are forever grateful for Britt's support of Manship School students and her contributions to the field of journalism. We extend our deepest condolences to her loved ones.

Read more about Britt’s life and legacy.

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