Tom Pyle: Raising Reporters at Southern Oregon University | October 23, 2018
Channel: Stories of Southern Oregon
Date: 2023-03-27

Tom Pyle came to SOSC in 1969 during a period of chaotic change in America and on campus. As advisor to the yearbook and the student newspaper and later as Journalism faculty, Pyle was in the middle of all of it. His sharp wordsmith skills, easygoing but firm manner and staunch support of student rights made him a student favorite and at times put him at odds with administration. Tom Pyle trained a generation of reporters, journalists, news writers and editors, retiring in 2004. In this October 23, 2018 oral history, recalls his 35 years teaching.  See his Where Is.. below.

This project has been funded by the Oregon Heritage Commission, a LSTA grant through the State Library of Oregon, NEH and others. This video has been produced with the support of Southern Oregon University and photos from SOU's Hannon Library.

-- John Reid (1971) Reporter at Ashland Daily Tidings, then Klamath Falls Herald & News and then at Medford Mail Tribune where he moved up to editor-in-chief. Passed away Aug. 11, 2013.
-- Terry Danner (1974) Music researcher for KGW Portland, then KYUU San Francisco, then Doubleday Broadcasting, then RKO Radio before becoming independent contractor.
-- Mark Nelson (1972) Owner Public Affairs Counsel lobbying and polling firm. "Most powerful Oregonian you never heard of" said Willamette Week. State's "31st senator" according to Gov. Kate Brown. "If I could afford him, I would have hired him" said Gov. Ted Kulongoski.
-- Guerry Dean (1972) Senior development manager, Trust for Public Land; Major gifts officer, Boy Scouts of America, Cascade Council.
-- Joe Hawk (1978) Sports reporter, columnist and editor, features section columnist, then copy desk editor at Las Vegas Review Journal. Won Associated Press “Best Game Story”  in 1990 for coverage of NCAA men’s basketball tournament title game.
-- Janay Haas (1974) Ashland attorney and author “Tenant Landlord Rights in Oregon,” and others
-- Pat Acklin (1975) Ashland city councilor; retired SOU Associate Professor of Geography.
-- Terrie Martin (1980) Feature writer at Medford Mail Tribune, where her work led to a nomination for a Pulitzer. Also taught journalism as an SOU adjunct. Now co-owner of D&S Harley-Davidson in Phoenix, Oregon.
-- Marcy Everest (1979) SOU MS in Political Science and U Oregon Phd. Taught at King's College, Weber State University; now at Southern Florida State College.
-- Jim Parker (1983) Reporter then wine and beer reviewer for newspapers in CA and CO before going into brewing business; Oregon Brewers Guild director. Passed away Feb. 5, 2019. See tribute video on YouTube: "Oregon Beer Industry Remembers Jim Parker RIP."
-- JoNel Aleccia (1983) Medford Mail Tribune for 21 years; Spokane News-Review reporter; Seattle Times health reporter; senior correspondent Kaiser Health News; health reporter/editor CSNBC; health writer NBC.
-- Ed Nishioka (1983) — Owner, Principal Consulting Group/Hawaii; Director of Development, Aloha Council Boy Scouts of America; former PR director for city and county of Honolulu.
-- Dan Havel (1983) VP sales, National Marketshare Group, Inc., Portland.
-- Valerie Ing (1984) Now classical music program host for Jefferson Public Radio.
-- Rene Knott (1987) KTVL Medford as news, sports reporter and then moved on to TV stations in Alabama, DC and St. Louis. He won an EMMY award for sportscasting with WJLA in Washington in 2001 and moved to KDSK in St. Louis in 2004, where is now co-anchor.
-- Morgan Holm (1989) Moved to KOPB in Portland rising through ranks at Oregon Public Broadcasting from reporter to assignment editor, producer, host, news editor and now chief content officer and senior vice president.
-- Cathy Noah (1989) Ashland Daily Tidings reporter then Grants Pass Courier before becoming feature writer at the Mail Tribune, all before graduation while working full-time. Became MT city editor in 1999 and then the first and only female editor-in-chief of the newspaper in 2016. She resigned to become senior marketing consultant for Asante in 2019.
-- Jared Castle (1991) Public information officer for Oregon Department of Transportation. Passed away 2018.
-- Jeff Brady (1995) Reporter and weekend anchor for KTVL Medford then correspondent for Oregon Public Broadcasting before joining NPR where he is now climate and energy correspondent. He won SOU's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2018.
-- Bobby Heiken (1997) Sports reporter then editor at Ashland Daily Tidings. Sports Information Director then Assistant Athletic Director at Western State College in Colorado. At SOU since 2008 as Associate Athletic Director overseeing all external operations of the department including fundraising.
-- Jessica Robinson (2004) JPR reporter as student and then news director after graduating, correspondent with Northwest News Network. Earned an M.S. degree in Nordic Communication at University of Oslo in Norway where she is now  completing her doctoral dissertation on online political participation.