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William Woo – 2009

William Woo was the first person to serve as editor of the Post-Dispatch who was not a Pulitzer family member. He was also the first Asian-American to edit a major U.S. paper. His 34-year tenure at the paper was highlighted by his highly personal Sunday column, “A Reflection,” in which he wrote about his family and watching his children grow. It was during a strike that shut down the Post that Bill Woo became editor of St. Louis Today, a strike paper. After leaving the Post in 1996, Woo made his mark as a mentor and journalism professor to hundreds of students in the Stanford University Graduate Journalism Program. He was also visiting professor of journalism at the University of Hong Kong and a Nieman Fellow at Harvard.

Mark Vittert- 2010

While Mark Vittert would never lay claim to being a working journalist, his influence on St. Louis media is legendary. Less than two years out of college, he sold his marketing company to Playboy Enterprises. When he got to St. Louis in 1977, he became an investor in Hartmann Publishing, owner of the Riverfront Times. A silent partner, Vittert provided the much-needed capital for the paper. Within two years, he was financing another weekly, teaming with two other men to give birth to the St. Louis Business Journal. Both papers became very successful and were ultimately sold to national chains. Through his financial backing and business guidance, Vittert created two of the market’s most successful specialty newspapers. Later, Vittert became co-owner of “St. Louis Magazine.” He also spent about 15 years as a member of the esteemed panel on KETC-TV’s “Donnybrook” program.

Elaine Viets – 2011

Elaine Viets capped a successful gig of over two decades as a columnist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch by easing out of the position and into the job of writing novels. Although she developed a large following with appearances on St. Louis TV and radio, her career move away from writing columns – many of which were based on the quirkiness of South St. Louis – proved to be wise. Her first series in the world of books was based on the sleuthing of newspaper columnist Francesca Vierling, and St. Louis readers found many of the characters in those novels resembled well-known local figures, including a few high-profile media people. For her novel writing, Elaine won the Agatha, Anthony and Lefty Awards.

Melba Sweets – 2008

Known as the Queen Mother of St. Louis journalism, Sweets was a writer, editor and wife of the former longtime owner and publisher of The St. Louis American. She taught a generation of journalists who started in the black press the importance of good grammar, writing and a love of language. At the American, she put her writing and teaching skills to work as an editor with a feared red pen, editing the work of many journalists who went on to work for major newspapers and magazines in the United States. She also co-authored “We’re Tellin’” a gossip and society column.

Dr. Donald Suggs – 2007

Dr. Donald M. Suggs presided over more than tenfold circulation growth circulation at the St. Louis American after taking the reins at the publication in 1984. At that time there were six employees at the paper. That number rose to 25 and annual revenues exceeded $3 million. The American was named the top Black Newspaper in the nation multiple times. It developed the annual Salute to Excellence program to focus on the need improve education, and the program received national plaudits for its accomplishments. Dr. Suggs continued his community involvement with the paper and received numerous state and national awards for accomplishments in the journalism community.

Carl Schurz – 2011

Carl Schurz was a Civil War brigadier general who founded several papers, including the Westliche Post (Western Post), one of St. Louis’ German newspapers, where he hired Joseph Pulitzer as a cub reporter. Schurz was a leading member of the Republican Party and in 1860 campaigned for Abraham Lincoln in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. After the election, Lincoln appointed Schurz as U.S. envoy to Spain. Schurz became the first German-born American elected to the U.S. Senate in 1869 and later served as Secretary of the Interior in President Rutherford Hayes’ administration. After leaving office in 1881, Schurz returned to journalism and became managing editor of the New York Evening Post. He also wrote for Harper’s Weekly, The Nation and had several books published including, “The Life of Henry Clay” (1887) and “Abraham Lincoln” (1891).  Schurz is famous for saying, “My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.”