IU alumnus grants School of Journalism largest gift of $1.75 million

The IU School of Journalism received the largest individual gift to date of about $1.75 million from an IU alumnus, Marty Anderson, who worked as a reporter and editor at the Associated Press for more than three decades.

“The Ann and Marty Anderson Scholarship in Journalism” was endowed to honor Anderson’s late wife and to help students who otherwise might not have financial resources to complete their journalism degrees.

“I got to thinking many years ago, as I started giving a little annually . . . that my whole intent was to provide means for young people who did not have the financial means to get to college. And if they’re interested in writing, they could continue their courses that teach them all of the principles,” said Anderson in an IU press release.

Students can look to Anderson as an example of a dedicated journalist, IU Journalism Dean Brad Hamm said in the release.

“He covered stories for more than 30 years and his work was read by thousands of people in Indiana, who rely on reporters like him to get the story right and help them understand how it affects their world,” Hamm said. “The Associated Press is the largest news gathering organization in the world. To be part of the AP takes a high level of ability and dedication.”

Anderson first became part of the IU School of Journalism during the High School Journalism Institute in 1951, his “first big introduction to journalism.”

An interview with writer John Bartlow Martin was what Anderson said stood out to him the most during the institute.

“He came to IU for this institute and did an interview with all of us there doing news writing, and I got a prize -- I got first place and won an autographed book by him called Butcher’s Dozen,” Anderson said in the release. “I got fascinated by writing about people’s lives and people’s backgrounds and from there it just blossomed.”

At the AP, Anderson covered breaking news across Indiana from several historic plane crashes to a gas explosion during a Holiday on Ice show at the Indiana State Fair Coliseum in 1963.

Anderson said he sees a bright future in today’s journalism students.

“It’s going to change. It’s going to all be computerized, on the little phones, with their different apps, but somebody, someplace will be interviewing a mayor or a candidate for Congress, and they will be analyzing that and reporting on it in some way,” he said in the release.

— Bailey Loosemore