Scott C. Schurz

2003

By Jonna Kane MacDougall

Scott C. Schurz is president of Hoosier-Times, Inc. a subsidiary of Schurz Communications, Inc. (SCI), a south Bend-based news and information company, which he serves as vice-president. He has held the titles of publisher and editor-in-chief of the Bloomington Herald-Times, the Bedford Times-Mail, the Martinsville Reporter, the Mooresville Times and the Beach Grove Southside Times. He still serves as publisher of the Sunday Hoosier-Times.

Schurz received his B.A. degree from Denison University in 1957, and began his newspaper career with SCI at the Hagerstown, Maryland Morning Herald and Daily Mail. He also worked at the South Bend Tribune and WSBT-TV, and the El Centro, California Imperial Valley Press and Brawley News, prior to moving to Bloomington in 1966.

He has been extremely active in journalism-related organizations, including the Newspaper Association of America (NAA), the World Association of Newspapers, the Inter-American Press Association, the International Newspaper Marketing Association, the Hoosier State Press Association (HSPA) and its Foundation, as well as the Inland Press Association, having held offices or chairmanships in each of these associations. In the case of the Hoosier State Press Association, he held the office of president twice – the only person in the history of that organization to do so. Vince Vawter, current president of the HSPA Board of Directors stated in his Hall of Fame nomination letter for Schurz, “IN the opinion of the board, Scott Schurz represents the epitome of a journalism professional. Schurz has done as much or more than any single individual that the board is aware of to support and advance journalism in Indiana…he is the only person to hold the office of president of the HSPA Board of Directors twice. His return to the presidency of the board was not something he sought, but was in response to an urgent plea for help from the board. His help resulted in a return to health of the press association as the voice of 170 newspapers in Indiana.” Schurz spent a total of 12 years on the HSPA board – the longest term in HSPA history.

He also has been a leader in raising funds to advance journalism organizations seeking to support and defend the principles of the First Amendment. He serves as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Newspaper Association of America Foundation. Additionally, his support of community causes also merits recognition. He has been active in the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County and the IU Foundation, where he has served as a board member since 1986.

It can truly be said that he lives up to the Schurz Communication, Inc. statement of purpose: “Our companies put great emphasis on seeking the truth and sharing it with others. Our purpose is to provide a better understanding of the world, so that our readers, viewers and users are more informed and can positively impact our communities and society.”

He has received numerous awards for his service and contributions to journalism, including the HSPA’s Distinguished Service Award in 1998, its First Freedom Award in 2002 and the International Newspaper Marketing Association’s Silver Shovel Award in 1988. It is fitting that he now joins his father, Franklin D. Schurz, as a member of the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame.