2017: Gene and Margy Chamberlin

Margaret “Margy” and the late L. Eugene “Gene” Chamberlin established one of the Greenlee School’s signature programs, the Chamberlin Lecture series, to bring national perspectives in news and advertising to campus. Both Iowa State alumni, Gene (’54, agricultural journalism) and Margy (’55, general sciences) shared a passion for journalism education. After Gene died in 2009, the Chamberlin family continued to support the lecture series until its conclusion in fall 2016. In conjunction with the Iowa Newspaper Foundation, the couple’s gift also brought a Chamberlin/INF Fellow to campus each year. The fellows, all leading Iowa reporters or editors, worked with students in Greenlee journalism classes. With the conclusion of the lecture series, Margy continues to honor Gene’s legacy by sponsoring internship scholarships for Greenlee students who share his ambition of working in community journalism at a small weekly paper. Gene and Margy owned and published the Mobridge (South Dakota) Tribune for 25 years. Gene also advised other publishers of community newspapers through his newspaper consulting business.