Board of Visitors
The University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism is assisted in its work by a distinguished, 18-member Board of Visitors. The board, established in 1983, provides a source of professional support and guidance by experienced journalism and media professionals.

Shortly after its formation, the board -- then chaired by The (Raleigh, N.C.) News & Observer's editor, Claude Sitton -- assisted the college in developing a five-year plan for excellence, titled "Toward 1990: Creating a Model Professional School." The plan was heralded nationally by journalism educators and media centers as a model for achieving academic excellence.

Reg Murphy, then publisher of The (Baltimore) Sun, succeeded Sitton as chairman of the board in 1986. Murphy, now retired president of National Geographic, stepped down in 1995 after 12 years of board service. He was succeeded by Eleanor Merrill, vice president of Capital-Gazette Communications in Annapolis, Md., who in 2007 became Chair Emeritus after 24 years of service. Mrs. Merrill's daugher, Catherine Merrill Williams, president and publisher of The Washingtonian magazine, joined the board and member Jane Healy, a Pulitzer Prize-winning 1971 alumna of the college, was appointed chair.

The board meets twice a year. One of those meetings is usually held on campus, providing students and faculty with an opportunity to interact with board members over informal breakfast discussions or in workshop panels.

The current Board of Visitors:

• Chair: Jane Healy, vice president and editorial page editor, Orlando Sentinel.
• Bonnie Bernstein, ABC/ESPN Sports.
• Jerry Ceppos, Saratoga, Calif., Fellow, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University, and retired vice president/news, Knight Ridder.
• Barbara Cochran, president, Radio-TV News Directors Association, Washington D.C.
• Walter Cronkite, special correspondent, CBS News.
• Ralph Crosby, chairman, Crosby Marketing Communications, Annapolis.
• Tim Franklin, editor and senior vice president, The Baltimore Sun.
• Gerald Hroblak, president, Richard Eaton Foundation, Chevy Chase, Md.
• Gwen Ifill, moderator and managing editor, "Washington Week."
• Bo Jones, publisher and CEO, The Washington Post.
• Jay Kernis, senior vice president for programming, National Public Radio, Washington, D.C.
• Doyle McManus, Washington bureau chief, The Los Angeles Times.
• Susan Patrick, Managing Partner, Patrick Communcations LLP, Elkridge, Md.
• Ken Paulson, editor, USA Today.
• William Raspberry, columnist, The Washington Post.
• William Sutton Jr., Scripps Howard Endowed Professor, Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications, Hampton (Va.) University.
• DeWayne Wickham, columnist, USA Today and Gannett News Service.
• Cathy Merrill Williams, president and publisher, The Washingtonian, Washington, D.C.

• Chair Emeritus: Eleanor Merrill, Chairman, The Washingtonian, Washington, D.C.
  

Past members of the Board of Visitors in addition to Sitton and Murphy are:

• Joe Adams, president, The Adams Group, Rockville, Md.
• Arnold Barach, secretary, The Kiplinger Foundation.
• Jeanne Viner Bell, public relations counselor, Washington, D.C.
• Cathie Black, publisher, USA Today.
• John Carroll, editor, The Baltimore Sun.
• Hodding Carter III, president Main Street TV Productions, Washington, D.C.
• Paul Delaney, senior editor, The New York Times.
• Hal Donofrio, president, Richardson, Myers and Donofrio, Baltimore.
• Paul Duke, senior commentator, Public Broadcasting System.
• Donald Graham, chairman, The Washington Post.
• Mireille Grangenois, vice president, marketing and interactive media, The Baltimore Sun.
• Tom Johnson, president, CNN.
• William Marimow, editor and senior vice president, The Baltimore Sun.
• Jack Nelson, Washington bureau chief, Los Angeles Times.
• Gene Patterson, editor and president, St. Petersburg Times.
• Thomas Phillips, chairman, Phillips Publishing International, Potomac, Md.
• Marion K. Poynter, retired director, Times Publishing Co., St. Peterburg, Fla.
• John Quinn, senior VP and chief news executive, Gannett Co., Inc.
• Gene Roberts, executive editor, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
• Charles S. Rowe, retired co-publisher and editor, Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg, Va.
• John Seigenthaler, trustee and former chairman, The Freedom Forum First Amendment Center, Vanderbilt University.
• Mortimer Zuckerman, chairman and editor-in-chief, U.S. News & World Report.