Timeline

FOSTERING EXCELLENCE
IN JOURNALISM

SINCE 1973

2023
KWF 50 logo
21 Sep

2023 – Wallace House Celebrates

Wallace House recognizes 50 years of journalism fellowships at the University of Michigan and welcomes its 50th class of fellows.

2022
WH logo new
1 Sep

2022 – Wallace House Center for Journalists

A new name reflects our support for the careers of journalists, press freedom issues and informed civic engagement.

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2020
2019
Puerto Rico street
1 Sep

2019 – First Trip to Puerto Rico

Organized by former Fellow Luis Trelles ‘19, the fellowship class of 2020 travels to Puerto Rico for an immersion into national identity, community empowerment, politics and culture.

2017
David Fahrenthold
1 Sep

2017 – Wallace House Presents Is Launched

This event series invites journalists whose work is at the forefront of national conversation to engage with the U-M community and the public.

2016
Korea Building
1 Sep

2016 – First Trip to South Korea

The Knight-Wallace Fellows travel to Asia for the first time since expanding international news tours beyond North America in 2000.

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Lynette with Charles
1 Sep

2016 – Lynette Clemetson Is Named the Charles R. Eisendrath Director of Wallace House

Lynette Clemetson succeeds Eisendrath as director of Wallace House. A 2010 Fellow, she was a reporter for The New York Times and Newsweek and Senior Director of Strategy and Content Initiatives at NPR.

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2015
1 Sep

2015 – Knight-Wallace Fellowships and the Livingston Awards Rebrand

Our two major programs, the Knight-Wallace Fellowships and the Livingston Awards, are rebranded under Wallace House.

2009
Russia Building
1 Sep

2009 – First Trip to Russia

Organized by former fellow Matthias Schepp ’05 and Knight-Wallace Fellowship assistant director Birgit Rieck, the class of 2009 spent eight days in Moscow, including a visit with former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev.

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2005
CNN Turk
1 Sep

2005 – First Fellowship Trip to Turkey

Ferhat Boratav of CNN Türk, Istanbul, hosts the Fellows in the first of ten trips to Turkey.

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2002
Mike Wallace
1 Sep

2002 – A New Era: Knight-Wallace Fellows at Michigan

A $5 million dollar challenge grant from the Knight Foundation and a $1 million dollar gift from Mike Wallace launched a new era for the program and a new name: Knight-Wallace Fellows at Michigan.

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2000
Argentina Fellows
1 Sep

2000 – First Trip to Argentina

Fellowship launches international travel to Argentina. These annual trips include meetings with government officials and leading newspaper editors.

1992
Mike Wallace
1 Sep

1992 – The Fellowship and Livingston Awards Find a Permanent Home on Oxford Road

The programs move to a new home when Wallace House is purchased with a $500,000 gift from Mike and Mary Wallace.

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1987
Letterhead
8 Sep

1987 – Michigan Journalism Fellows

The program is renamed Michigan Journalism Fellows.

1986
Hovey Tent
8 Sep

1986 – The Annual Graham Hovey Lecture Is Established

Created by Charles Eisendrath, the annual event recognizes a Knight-Wallace alum whose career exemplifies the benefits of a fellowship at the University of Michigan and whose ensuing work is at the forefront of our national conversation.

Charles in room
8 Sep

1986 – Charles R. Eisendrath Becomes Director

Charles R. Eisendrath becomes director of the Michigan Journalism Fellows program. A Time magazine correspondent in Washington, London and Paris and bureau chief in Buenos Aires, he was a Fellow in 1974 and joined the University of Michigan faculty in 1975.

1985
KWF logo
8 Sep

1985 – $750,000 Gift From the Knight Foundation

A $750,000 gift from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation ensures the continuation of the program when the end of federal support threatens its existence.

1984
1 Sep

1984 – Journalists in Residence

The NEH Fellowships program is renamed Journalists in Residence.

1981
First LIV Award
7 Jun

1981 – Inaugural Livingston Awards

Mollie Parnis Livingston establishes the Livingston Awards for Young Journalists to spotlight journalists under the age of 35. Richard Clurman, Chief of Correspondents for Time-Life News Service, conceives of the awards with Mollie and brings aboard Charles Eisendrath to design and implement the prize.

1980
Graham Hovey becomes director
1 Sep

1980 – Graham Hovey Becomes Director

Graham Hovey (1916–2010) succeeds Ben Yablonky as the director of the fellowship program.

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1973
4 Sep

1973 – First Class of Fellows (1973–1974)

Among the journalists in the inaugural class is Charles Gibson, a reporter and anchor at WMAL TV in Washington, D.C.. Gisbon went on to become the anchor of “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight,” both at ABC News.

1972
Ben Yablonky
1 Nov

1972 – National Endowment for the Humanities Journalism Fellowships Established by Ben Yablonky

Ben Yablonky (1910–1991), U-M journalism professor and former Nieman fellow (1946), receives funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities for a mid-career journalism fellowship program at the University of Michigan.

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