John Curley

1963 , Journalism (Master's from Columbia)
Capital Campaign Committee Board Member

Residence

Potomac, Md., and State College, Pa.

Occupation

Retired president, chairman and CEO of Gannett Co. Inc. Currently, Curley is a professor and distinguished professional in residence with the College of Communications.

At Penn State

An active supporter of College activities and a featured speaker on panels and in lectures, Curley was made an Honorary Alumnus in 1999. Curley was a driving force toward the establishment of the Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State. He teaches COMM 260W News Writing and Reporting and COMM 475 Issues for Newsroom Managers.

Notable

After finishing his undergraduate study, Curley served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. … Curley retired from Gannett in January 2001 after spending more than 30 years with the company, including almost 15 as CEO. … During his stint as head of the Gannett News Service, GNS won the 1980 Pulitzer Prize for public service. … In 1982, Curley became the first editor of USA Today. He has also been an editor at the Rochester (N.Y.) Times-Union; the editor and publisher of the Courier-News in Bridgewater, N.J.; and the publisher of the News-Journal in Wilmington, Del. … From 1983 until his retirement, Curley served on Gannett’s Board of Directors. … Curley was selected as chairman of the Newspaper Association of America in May 1996, and served a year as vice chair of the Associated Press Board. … Since 1978, Curley has served on the Dickinson College Board of Trustees, where he as chairman for 10 years. … In 2004, Curley was honored with the Deans’ Award for Teaching Excellence, and in 2005 he received the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. … Curley’s younger brother, Tom, is the president and CEO of the Associated Press.