Photo Gallery: Newhouse School Cheers to 60 Years

The Newhouse School celebrated its 60th anniversary with an afternoon full of events on Aug. 28 attended by Donald Newhouse and his family. The celebration included a special luncheon, a tour of the complex for the family and a ceremony on the plaza, where Chancellor Kent Syverud and Newhouse Dean Mark J. Lodato unveiled the new name of the space that connects the complex’s three buildings: the Newhouse Family Plaza.

Luncheon

Tour

Ceremony

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A reception on the newly renamed Newhouse Family Plaza followed the ceremony, with the family, alumni and the entire Newhouse community invited.

University Unveils ‘Newhouse Family Plaza’ as Newhouse School Celebrates 60th Anniversary

The Newhouse School welcomed Donald Newhouse and his family back to Syracuse University to mark the school’s 60^th anniversary with an afternoon full of celebratory events highlighted by the renaming of the plaza in between the school’s three buildings in the family’s honor.

The festivities Wednesday included a special luncheon, a tour of the complex for the family and a ceremony on the plaza, where Chancellor Kent Syverud and Newhouse Dean Mark J. Lodato unveiled the new name as hundreds watched from the Einhorn Family Walk.

The owner of Advance Publications, Donald Newhouse is the patriarch of one of the first families of American publishing. Advance was founded by his father, Samuel I. Newhouse, in 1922.

In remarks on the plaza, Donald Newhouse recounted how he observed a meeting in the late 1950s between his father and then-University Chancellor William P. Tolley during which the idea for what would become the Newhouse School was conceived.

Donald Newhouse was one of the honored guests on Aug. 5, 1964, when President Lyndon B. Johnson joined S.I. Newhouse to formally open the Newhouse 1 building. That day also happened to be Donald Newhouse’s 35^th birthday.

“I am fortunate to have the chance in the same month that I celebrate my 95^th birthday, to look back with overwhelming pride at the record of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. It is one of the great joys of my life,” Donald Newhouse said Wednesday.  

“Thank you all for helping me celebrate this anniversary, and for your role in realizing the dream of my father and Chancellor Tolley.”

The Newhouse family is one of the largest donors in Syracuse University’s history, including the $75 million pledge by the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation to the Newhouse School in 2020. That pledge was the single largest gift in the University’s history.

“There are so many amazing alumni of this school that I’ve met all over the world—editors, broadcasters, leaders in print, cable news and network newsrooms. They founded and led radio stations, PR agencies, advertising firms, countless ventures in the business, digital music and entertainment industries,” Syverud said before unveiling the plaza’s new name.

“All of them amazing people, all made possible because of the transformational gifts of Donald Newhouse and the Newhouse Foundation,” he added. “You’ve really, in a meaningful sense, shaped the trajectory of the University, the Newhouse School and most importantly, the careers of tens of thousands of our students and our graduates and faculty.”

Today, the Newhouse School offers seven undergraduate programs and more than a dozen graduate programs covering the gamut of fields in media and communications. The school also launched its first fully online bachelor’s program, in strategic communications, this year.

But what will not change, Lodato said, is an unwavering dedication to journalism education.

Lodato pledged to continue to work with newsrooms and journalism organizations on key issues like filling news deserts, and striving to ensure the diversity of newsroom staffs and leadership accurately reflects the communities they serve.

He cited expanded opportunities for students to hone their skills through study-away semesters in Washington, D.C., New York City or Los Angeles, or special trips such as coverage of the recent Democratic and Republican presidential nominating conventions for professional media outlets.

Newhouse also combined the broadcast and digital journalism, and magazine, news and digital journalism programs, into one journalism major starting this fall following state approval, the result of years of discussion with faculty.

Students will still choose one of two tracks under the new journalism major structure—broadcast and digital journalism, or magazine, news and digital journalism. But Lodato noted the change is reflective of how the Newhouse School pivots to meet the needs of an industry which increasingly is looking for journalists who can tell stories on multiple platforms.

“I can think of no better way of recognizing the vision and generosity of Mr. Newhouse and his extraordinary family than to reinforce our steadfast commitment to journalism and journalism education,” Lodato said.

Newhouse was joined Wednesday by several members of his family, including sons Steven and Michael, the co-presidents of Advance. Larry Kramer ’72, vice chair of the University Board of Trustees, offered remarks at the luncheon, as did Newhouse Dean Emeritus David Rubin and Margaret Talev, Kramer Director of the Syracuse University Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship, and a professor of practice of journalism at Newhouse.

David Zaslav, the president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, spoke during a videotaped message.

Marie Achkar, a senior in broadcast and digital journalism, spoke on behalf of students at the luncheon. Jada Knight, a senior in television, radio and film, spoke on students’ behalf during the plaza ceremony, which was followed by a reception for the family, students, faculty, staff and alumni.

Newhouse School Celebrates 60th Anniversary in 2024-25

The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications will commemorate its 60th anniversary in 2024-25 by honoring the visionary commitment and generosity of the Newhouse family at school and alumni events throughout the year.

A new 60th anniversary website features a Newhouse School timeline and more information about the school’s history. The site will be updated throughout the year with anniversary-related virtual events and in-person alumni gatherings, such as Orange Central weekend.

The Newhouse 1 building was dedicated Aug. 5, 1964, during a ceremony on the Newhouse plaza featuring President Lyndon B. Johnson. The night before the dedication, S.I. Newhouse spoke during a dinner at the Hotel Syracuse to mark the momentous occasion.

“It is right and fitting that such a communications center be located within a dynamic university with world-embracing interests,” Newhouse said at the dinner. “The many fields of study provide an unparalleled opportunity for the interplay of creative talents of the first rank.”

The Newhouse School draws upon those prescient words to mark this milestone year and connect our storied history with our long-standing, forward-thinking philosophy.

Unparalleled Opportunity

The Newhouse School is proud of its ability to pivot and adjust to give students the skillset needed to thrive in the ever-evolving field of communications. Moving forward, this means in part renewing a commitment to expand partnerships and collaborations to pursue research and creative activities for students and faculty; and developing excellence and expertise in technology-driven communication tools and practices, specifically in advanced and emerging media.

World-Embracing Interests

Experiential learning opportunities around the country and globe allow Newhouse students to hone the skills they learn in the classroom from our award-winning faculty, while also helping them build their career networks. Newhouse is committed to expanding access for all Newhouse students through school programs in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and University programs worldwide.

Creative Talents

The success of the Newhouse School is embodied through the generations of alumni who have walked through the halls of Newhouse and proceeded to write, produce, create and lead in their respective fields. The “Newhouse Network” supports the legacy of the Newhouse family not only through charitable giving, but by coming back to Syracuse to speak with students; offering internships, networking opportunities and job leads; and lending guidance and feedback via advisory boards and personal connections with faculty and staff.

“Newhouse remains rooted in journalism. It’s in our DNA,” Dean Mark Lodato said. “At the same time, one of the reasons our school has succeeded for so long—and graduated generations of communications professionals—is a philosophy to embrace change and lead the way in forging new frontiers.”

“Our Newhouse School community looks forward to celebrating the legacy of excellence that is rooted in the vision, generosity and commitment of S.I. Newhouse and his family.”

The Newhouse 60th anniversary website will be updated as events are announced.

Newhouse 60: Dedication of Newhouse 2

Ken Sparks doesn’t remember every word of every speech at the dedication of Newhouse 2 on May 31, 1974. But he does remember how important the building was to Syracuse University and the overall broadcasting industry.

“You knew that this already distinguished school was going to go on to even greater significance,” says Sparks, who represented graduate students at the dedication 40 years ago. Sparks earned an undergraduate degree from the College of Visual and Performing Arts in 1954, and master’s and doctoral degrees from the School of Journalism in 1961 and 1964.

The addition of Newhouse 2 elevated the university’s existing broadcast journalism department while also signaling the merger of the television and radio department with the School of Journalism to create what is now known as the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

“It was nice to have the whole complex, the Newhouse School, being a fixture of journalism. And I think pulling it all together in the Newhouse School was a great thing to advance,” says Sparks, who served as executive vice president and chief executive officer of the Federal City Council nonprofit in Washington, D.C., for more than 30 years.

Newhouse 2 was the second of a proposed three-building complex born from Samuel I. Newhouse’s $15 million donation in 1964. Construction on Newhouse 2 began in the summer of 1971. Three years later, the 72,000-square-foot building opened its doors as  home of one of the top broadcast journalism programs in the country.

The first two floors of Newhouse 2 housed two televisions stations, a scene shop and storage areas, while faculty offices, a 100-seat theater and broadcast laboratory were located on the third floor.

About 500 people attended the dedication, including NBC anchor David Brinkley, who served as the master of ceremonies, and William S. Paley, chairman of the board of CBS, who delivered the keynote speech.

“The name ‘Samuel I. Newhouse’ should be a constant reminder of a remarkable career in communications,” Paley said. “His achievements are the eloquent testimony that one medium, to be strong, need not weaken another but can strengthen it—that a new medium, to be effective, need not destroy an old medium but can constructively change it.”

Paley also came close to asking for the repeal of the 1949 Federal Communication Commission (FCC)’s “Fairness Doctrine,” which forced broadcasters to discuss certain topics the government deemed necessary for public consumption.

“A free press must include all journalists if it is to serve its common purpose in a free society,” Paley said. “Journalism transmitted over the air should no more be inhibited by government than the print media from informing the people, from stimulating discussion and from helping citizens thereby to take the action essential to effective self-government.”

He went on to relate problems with the “Fairness Doctrine,” which the FCC didn’t repeal until 1987, to the importance of the Newhouse School: “The completion and dedication of this impressive second unit of the Newhouse Communications Center has significance that goes far beyond this moment and this campus,” he says.

Eva Archer-Smith, a 1973 public relations and political science graduate, also attended the dedication, where she was invited to be the undergraduate representative. Archer-Smith, who worked as a senior public affairs executive for Exxon Mobil, says the excitement surrounding the new building and the dedication was tangible.

“You just got the feeling that this at once seemed like this impossible dream and that it was finally here,” she says. “I remember thinking, ‘Wow. This really means something.’ This is what happens when people care about something much bigger than themselves. It was a very powerful feeling.”

60 Years Later, A Look Back at the Dedication of Newhouse 1

On the morning of Aug. 5, 1964, rain clouds hung over Syracuse as hundreds of people gathered behind a chain-link fence at the edge of a runway at Hancock Airport. They held signs. They looked curiously at members of the Secret Service and the White House press corps, assembled nearby. They listened to transistor radios bringing news of unrest in the Gulf of Tonkin, off the coast of Vietnam. They peered skyward for some sign of a plane.

As if on cue, the clouds parted at 10 a.m. and, minutes later, a blue-and-white jet came into view. The crowd watched the aircraft land and taxi, saw the door swing open, caught a glimpse of a green silk dress and then, emerging into the light, came the president and first lady.

Lyndon Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird, had come to town on Air Force One to dedicate the newly-constructed Newhouse I. It was the first of three planned buildings at Syracuse University that would be known as the S.I. Newhouse Communications Center in honor of the publishing magnate whose $15 million gift was the largest in the school’s history. Standing on the tarmac, Newhouse himself waited with his wife, Mitzi, to greet the Johnsons.

Samuel I. Newhouse had been born to poor immigrant parents on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and now he stood next to the president of the United States. He understood, perhaps more than anyone else present, the significance of the scene. The evening before, at a dinner in his honor hosted by Chancellor William Tolley at the Hotel Syracuse, Newhouse had noted: “I cannot be unaware of a dramatic contrast that concerns my name. The first time it appeared anywhere was on a birth certificate written in a New York City tenement, where I was born. I’m proud of that. Tomorrow I will see my name inscribed on the wall of what is perhaps the most modern school of communication in the world. I am proud of that, too.”

A Moment in History

Lyndon Johnson was the first sitting president to visit Syracuse University since the 1930s, and Newhouse brought him there. The two men, who had met before, drove together in a car from the airport to campus, winding their way along a route crowded with about 10,000 people hoping to see the president. Johnson was highly popular with an American public still reeling from the assassination of John F. Kennedy eight months earlier. He was also gearing up for the presidential election later that year. (Johnson went on to defeat Barry Goldwater in a landslide.)

Another crowd waited for the president on campus, covering the sloping hill from University Place back to the Hall of Languages and Maxwell Hall. The president and first lady stood on the plaza in front of the building flanked by the Newhouse family, Chancellor Tolley and New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller and his wife, Happy. But Johnson looked grim as the ceremony commenced, and those who noticed his demeanor thought they knew what was on his mind: Vietnam.

The night before the Newhouse dedication, Johnson had gone on television to inform the nation of what he called “renewed hostile actions against United States ships on the high seas in the Gulf of Tonkin.” North Vietnamese vessels, he said, had twice attacked U.S. Navy ships, including the destroyer USS Maddox. The aggression, Johnson said, “brings home to all of us in the United States the importance of the struggle for peace and security in Southeast Asia.”

U.S. troops had been stationed in Vietnam since the Eisenhower administration, but always in an “advisory” capacity. Now, Johnson told the American people, it was time to act.

“I shall immediately request the Congress to pass a resolution making it clear that our government is united in its determination to take all necessary measures in support of freedom and in defense of peace in Southeast Asia,” he said.

The words were still fresh as Johnson readied to address the audience at Syracuse. Chancellor Tolley spoke first, introducing Newhouse. Quiet and averse to public speaking, Newhouse stood at the podium only a moment, to introduce the president.

When LBJ, dressed in academic regalia, stepped up to the microphone, a rapt audience listened as he greeted the VIPs on the stage and noted, “On this occasion, it is fitting, I think, that we are meeting here to dedicate this new center to better understanding among all men. For that is my purpose in speaking to you.” With that, LBJ delivered the historic Gulf of Tonkin speech, again outlining the need for action in Vietnam.

“The Gulf of Tonkin may be distant, but none can be detached about what has happened there,” he said. “Aggression—deliberate, willful and systematic aggression—has unmasked its face to the entire world. The world remembers—the world must never forget—that aggression unchallenged is aggression unleashed.”

Opening the Door

Johnson’s remarks were met with applause and, at the end, a standing ovation. Tolley presented him with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, then LBJ then turned his attention to the four orange ribbons that had been strung across the opening of Newhouse 1. Newhouse’s wife was the first to clip a ribbon with a pair of gold scissors; his daughter-in-law, Susan, clipped the second. Lady Bird Johnson clipped the third and the president clipped the last, officially opening the Newhouse Communications Center at Syracuse University.

Tolley presented both Johnson and Newhouse with golden keys, and Newhouse used his to unlock Newhouse 1. The 76,000-square-foot, flat-roofed building, designed in a cruciform shape, featured a spanning atrium lit by skylights in the 32-foot-high ceiling. On the wall was a bronze Jacques Lipchitz sculpture, “Birth of the Muses,” and a quote from Newhouse: “A free press must be fortified with greater knowledge of the world and skill in the arts of expression.”

Devoted at that time to print media, the building included classrooms, photography darkrooms and studios, design studios, faculty offices, a library and a public lounge. Enrollment that fall was 165 students.

The building had been six years in the making. After a chance meeting at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, Tolley and Newhouse had become friends, and around 1958 began discussing a proposed new building for the School of Journalism. At its founding in 1934, the school had been located in Yates Castle; but the building had been demolished in 1953 to make room for additions to the medical school, which had just changed hands from Syracuse University to the University of the State of New York. The School of Journalism needed a new, permanent home.

Newhouse’s initial gift of $1 million for the construction of a new building and $700,000 for operations was announced in 1960. But by 1962, the gift, along with the vision, had been expanded. That summer, the same summer he appeared on the cover of Time magazine, Newhouse pledged $15 million for what would become a three-building complex.

Newhouse chose up-and-coming architect I.M. Pei to design the first building. Pei, who would soon be tapped by Jacqueline Kennedy to design the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, was recognized for the Newhouse design in 1965 with the American Institute of Architects’ National Honor Award. The award citation noted that the building “exemplifies a powerful manipulation of mass and plane to enclose space. Its relation to its environment is superb, its materials simple and logical, its detailing excellent.”

That the building was located in Syracuse was not happenstance, and not solely the result of the relationship between Newhouse and Tolley. Newhouse’s connection to Syracuse stretched back to 1939, when he purchased two Central New York newspapers and merged them to create the Syracuse Herald-Journal. In 1942, he purchased the city’s other daily, the Syracuse Post-Standard. He also acquired Syracuse radio properties, and for a time made weekly train trips from New York City to Syracuse. Both of Newhouse’s sons, S.I. Jr. and Donald, attended Syracuse University. Newhouse received an honorary degree from the University in 1955 and was named to the Board of Trustees in 1959.

“The City of Syracuse has a very special place in my heart,” he once said. And in a letter to Johnson a week after the dedication, Newhouse called Aug. 5, 1964, “my happiest of days.”

A Legacy Continues

In 1971, when the School of Journalism merged with the Department of Television and Radio, the school was renamed the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and became the most comprehensive, stand-alone school of its type in the nation. Three years later, Newhouse saw the opening of the second building in the complex, Newhouse 2, which was dedicated with a keynote address by William S. Paley, chairman of the board of CBS.

Newhouse died in 1979, and control of his publishing empire—which by then included 31 newspapers, seven magazines, six television stations, five radio stations and 20 cable television systems—passed to his sons. Both men and their families were present in 2007 when the third building, Newhouse 3, was dedicated by Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts.

When Newhouse died, Dean Henry Schulte noted: “Mr. Newhouse maintained a keen, penetrating interest in the school, but never by word or gesture interfered in the management or growth of the school. It was if he said, ‘I’ll give you the tools. Seek excellence.’”