events/awards

The Futrell Award in Communications

The Futrell Award for Outstanding Achievement in Communications and Journalism was established in 1999 by Ashley B. Futrell, Jr., in tribute to his father, Ashley B. Futrell, Sr., for his career contributions to Duke University and to the profession of journalism.

The award is presented annually to a Duke University alumni for outstanding achievement in the field of communications and journalism and is administered by the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy at Duke University's Sanford Institute of Public Policy.

The Futrells - both are Duke alumni, Ashley B. Futrell, Sr. ('33) and Ashley B. Futrell, Jr., ('78) - exemplify the ideals of the Futrell Award. Not only have they made significant contributions to the field of communications, but their newspaper, the Washington (NC) Daily News, has directly improved the quality of life in the community in which they have lived all their lives. In 1990 The Washington Daily News pursued information revealing that the city's water supply was contaminated with carcinogens, a problem that the local government had neither disclosed nor corrected over a period of eight years. The newspaper was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Meritorious Public Service.

The award includes a cash prize and an engraved goblet. A permanent plaque is displayed at the DeWitt Wallace Center listing the annual award recipients.

2007-2008

Stephen Labaton, Senior Writer, The New York Times, Washington Bureau

2006-2007

Kevin Sack, National Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, Atlanta Bureau

 

2005-2006

John Harwood, Chief Washington Correspondent of CNBC and Senior Contributing Writer at The Wall Street Journal.

2004-2005

James Goodmon, President and CEO of Capitol Broadcasting Company, Raleigh

2003-2004

David Hartman, founding host of "Good Morning America" and a documentary producer for PBS.

2002-2003

Susan E. Tifft, Eugene C. Patterson Professor of the Practice of Public Policy and Journalism; former senior editor at TIME Magazine

2001-2002

Fred Andrews, former writer and editor at The New York Times

2000-2001

Charlie Rose, host of the Charlie Rose Show

1999-2000

Jason DeParle, staff writer at The New York Times

1998-1999

Clay Felker, Founding Editor of New York Magazine and the editor of Village Voice and Esquire Judy Woodruff, senior anchor at CNN