The history of The Alligator is its stories and its stands on issues. But it is also in the caliber of the people who were once students here, free to put into practice at the newspaper what they were learning in class at the University of Florida. In journalism alone, our alumni include at least four subsequent Pulitzer Prize winners.
Alligator alumni are at almost every daily newspaper in Florida, and many of the weeklies. They include David Lawrence Jr., professor at Florida International University, former chairman of the Herald Publishing Company and former publisher of The Miami Herald; Edward Sears, editor of The Palm Beach Post; Louis Perez, editor of The (Lakeland) Ledger; William Dunn, associate managing editor of The Orlando Sentinel, and many, many others.
In addition, Alligator alumni are at newspapers throughout the nation. They include Walker Lundy, editor of the St. Paul Pioneer Press; Keith Moyer, editor of the Fresno Bee, ;Karen DeYoung, assistant managing editor at The Washington Post; plus those at the Los Angeles Times, Detroit Free Press, Atlanta Constitution and Journal, and numerous others.
Then there are Mindi Kiernan, vice president of Knight-Ridder; Tom Kennedy, the former director of photography at National Geographic and now the director of photography and design at WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive; Nick Tatro, AP bureau chief in Israel, Ian Johnson, chief of Asian bureau, Wall Street Journal; Chris Fontaine, associate editor of The Cambodia Daily; Dennis Kneale, co-executive editor at Forbes Magazine.
There are John Paul Jones, dean emeritus of UF?s College of Journalism and Communications; H. G. Davis, Distinguished Services Professor Emeritus and Pulitzer Prize winner; Jean Chance, renowned professor of journalism, Clifford Marks, vice president of ESPN, John Detweiler, Chairman Emeritus of the UF Department of Public Relations, Richard Shelton, Executive Director of the Florida Press Association and David Klein, associate publisher and editor of Advertising Age.
In addition to those and many other journalists and professors, there are prominent attorneys, authors, educators, business leaders, judges and public servants throughout Florida and the nation who once served on The Alligator staff. Almost to a person, they praise the newspaper for the tremendous experience they received during their training.
In 1978, several Alligator alumni gathered to form the Alligator Alumni Association.
Since then, thousands of alumni have been located and have joined the association. The association?s purpose is to stand behind and strengthen the purposes of the student newspaper.
"I look back on my Alligator days with the fondest of memories. Sure, I remember the hard work…sure I remember the tough times…but, most of all, I remember that The Alligator was a wonderful start on the best career there is - newspapering." - David Lawrence Jr. professor, Florida International University, former chairman of Herald Publishing Company
Editors
Editors after the newspaper became The Independent Florida Alligator
| 1973 | Tim Condon | 1979 | Patrick Cronin | 1986 | Joshua Weinstein | 1993 | Matt Adams |
| 1973 | Debbi Smith | 1980 | Cindy Spence | 1987 | John Harris | 1994 | Jon Glass |
| 1974 | Jim Seale | 1980 | Barry Klein | 1987 | Michael Koretzky | 1994 | Jaime Abdo |
| 1974 | David Smith | 1981 | David Dahl | 1988 | Sonja Isger | 1995 | Edie Gross |
| 1975 | Ron Cunningham | 1981 | Robert McClure | 1989 | Derek Catron | 1995 | Kara Kitts |
| 1975 | Tom Shroder | 1982 | Donna Wares | 1989 | Michael Giltz | 1996 | Grant Heston |
| 1976 | Brian Jones | 1982 | Jonathan Susskind | 1990 | Lucy Chabot | 1996 | Amy Zerba |
| 1976 | Mindi Keirnan | 1983 | Adam Yeomans | 1990 | Judy Plunkett | 1997 | Greg Auman |
| 1977 | Deborah Ibert | 1983 | Ian Johnson | 1991 | Geoff Boucher | 1997 | Jacob Luft |
| 1977 | Tom Julin | 1984 | Dana McElroy | 1991 | Debbie Cenziper | 1998 | Tonya Favata |
| 1978 | Andrew Froman | 1984 | Broward Liston | 1992 | Matthew Sauer | 1998 | Jamie Malernee |
| 1978 | Dennis Kneale | 1985 | Kyle Kulish | 1992 | Elizabeth Clarke | 1999 | Shannon Colavecchio |
| 1979 | Tim Smart | 1986 | Sallie Hughes |
Hall of Fame
Persons inducted into The Alligator Hall of Fame were selected for this honor due to their outstanding dedication and service. Through their accomplishments, they have brought great esteem to themselves and pride to those who are dear to them. Through association they also bring greater distinction to The Alligator, where years before they began their singular journey to excellence.
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| Addis | Barber | Bennett | Burt | Chance | Chiles |
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| Davis | Detweiler | Ellison | Graham | Haiman | Johnson |
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| Jones | Julin | Keirnan | Kennedy | Lawrence | Lundy |
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| Proctor | Rivas | Roosenraad | Sachs |
1996, The Independent Florida Alligator Hall of Fame selection committee has considered dozens of nominations to the Hall Fame from across the nation. The following thumbnail sketches do not begin to do justice to the people who have been selected to the Hall of Fame. For greater detail on each member, please click on that person's picture.
Inducted in 1996 included Charles E. Bennett, retired U.S. Congressman, historian and author; the late Philip L. Graham, former publisher of the Washington Post; John Paul Jones Jr., author, publisher and Dean Emeritus of the UF College of Journalism and Communications; Mindi Keirnan, former newspaper reporter and editor, and now vice president for operations of Knight-Ridder Corporation; Thomas R. Kennedy, former director of photography at National Geographic Magazine, and now director of photography and design for Washingtonpost.newsweek; David Lawrence Jr., former publisher of The Miami Herald and now chairman of The Miami Herald Publishing Co.; Ronald L. Sachs, former newspaper, magazine and television newsman, former director of communications for Florida's governor and now head of Ron Sachs Communications; Ed Barber, general manager of The Alligator, publisher of The High Springs Herald and vice president of the Florida Press Association.
1997 class inducted into the Hall of Fame were no less distinguished. They were Jean Carver Chance, former reporter and now a long-renowned professor of journalism in the UF College of Journalism and Communications; H. G. (Buddy) Davis, former reporter, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorialist and columnist, and now Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of the UF College of Journalism and Communications; Jack Detweiler, former reporter and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Public Relations, UF College of Journalism and Communications; Ed Johnson, former executive editor and publisher of The Gainesville Sun, retired senior editor of The New York Times regional newspaper group; Thomas R. Julin, former editor of The Alligator and highly renowned First Amendment attorney; Walker Lundy, editor and senior vice president of the St. Paul Pioneer Press; Jon A. Roosenraad, Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Journalism in the College of Journalism and Communications, the current Director of college's Student Services, and a former member of the corporate board of The Alligator for more than 20 years.
The members inducted as the 1998 class of the Hall of Fame included Don Addis, famous newspaper cartoonist; Al Burt, former foreign correspondent and columnist for The Miami Herald, and now book author;Rhea Chiles, artist, book editor and the First Lady of the State of Florida; Bob Ellison, martyred Alligator and Newsweek photojournalist; Bob Haiman, former executive editor of The St. Petersburg Times and Executive Director Emeritus of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies and a current Freedom Forum Fellow; Samuel Proctor, world-renowned historian, teacher and researcher and Robert Rivas, a highly-recognized and respected First Amendment attorney.
