Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

Issue date: 9/6/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Courtesy of the School of Mass Comunications and Journalism Web site Sam Donaldson

San Jose State University's radio-television journalism department announced Tuesday that Sam Donaldson, former White House correspondent for ABC News, is delivering the key-note speech for the department's 50th year anniversary reunion on Oct. 12.

Jessica Drnek, president of SJSU's radio-television news directors association and organizer of the event, said that Professor Bob Rucker had a lot to do with getting Donaldson to come to campus.

"He's been campaigning for this reunion really hard," Drnek said. "It's really just exciting for our university. Sam Donaldson is a first class journalist. It's super exciting for our department because it really ups the level of our status."

Diane Demis, a junior journalism major, said she was not surprised to hear that Donaldson was coming to SJSU.

"No, not at all," Demis said. "I've heard several people speak of the journalism program here and I've heard it is one of the premier programs in the country. So, it doesn't seem surprising at all that (Donaldson) would want to come to Silicon Valley and give a speech."

Rob Soul, program director at KSJS, said he was also not surprised that SJSU attracted a famous speaker.

"Sam Donaldson is an icon of broadcast journalism, so it's great that he's coming to campus," Soul said. "I guess we've got a lot of, what you call, famous people to come through and participate in things here on campus. I'm not surprised, just privileged."

Will Thomas, an SJSU alumnus and weekend anchor at FOX 5 News in Washington D.C., worked with Donaldson during the Monica Lewinsky scandal and had a pivotal role in getting Donaldson on board.

"I worked side by side with (Donaldson) a few times, covering various things and got to know him," Thomas said. "I decided to reach out to him at Bob Rucker's request to see if he would be interested."

Thomas said Donaldson "was very open to doing it and pleased to be asked."

"I let him know how much it meant to me and that the university helped save my career and my life," Thomas said. "He made some arrangements in his schedule and said he could do it. Bob sort of took it over from that point."

Thomas said that the biggest concern was scheduling.

"He does a live radio show," Thomas said. "I think he's arranged it that he will go to the ABC station in San Francisco, KGO, and possibly do his show from there and then come into San Jose for the event."

Continued...

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