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John Schmeltzer

John Schmeltzer

Professor, Engleman/Livermore Professor in Community Journalism

John Schmeltzer

Office: Gaylord Hall 3017
Email: j.schmeltzer@ou.edu

Education:
MA
, Northern Illinois University
BA, Wartburg College

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Schmeltzer is the Engleman/Livermore Professor in Community Journalism. The Engleman/Livermore Professorship was established by Charles and Jean Engleman and Ed Livermore, Sr. to support the development of future publishers and leaders in community journalism.

Schmeltzer held numerous positions during his 35-year career at the Chicago Tribune from political writer during the mid-1970s to assistant business editor in 2008. He was instrumental in expanding the readership of the Tribune by developing a suburban version of the newspaper for which he served as associate metropolitan editor from 1976 to 1991. From 1997 to 2003, he covered the aerospace industry and covered many of the events that led to the Tribune being awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2001. In recent years, Schmeltzer has worked to expand readership through social media and online newspaper editions. In addition to the Pulitzer, Schmeltzer also was a finalist for the UCLA Anderson School of Management Gerald Loeb Award for business journalism, three awards from the Chicago Headline Club and was awarded the Distinguished Service award from his almamater, Northern Illinois University in 2002.