Lorraine Branham facts for kids

Lorraine Elizabeth Branham (born December 7, 1952 – died April 2, 2019) was an important American newspaper editor. She also served as the Dean of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Lorraine Branham was known as a leading African American expert in journalism. She was also famous for guiding and helping young journalists.

Early Life and Education

Lorraine Branham was born on December 7, 1952, in Philadelphia. Her parents were Jesse Williams and Leona Green. After her parents separated, her mother and stepfather, Henry Walls, raised her. She was the oldest of 13 children.

Branham went to Overbrook High School in Philadelphia. She studied radio, television, and film at the Klein College of Media and Communication. This college is part of Temple University. She graduated in 1976.

During her college years, Lorraine was a single mother. She had a son with Norris Branham, whom she later divorced. In 1997, she married Melvin Williams. She chose to keep her last name, Branham, after marrying Williams.

In 1986, Branham received a special John S. Knight Fellowship at Stanford University. This fellowship helps journalists improve their skills.

Career in Print Journalism

Lorraine Branham started her career in 1976 as a reporter. She worked for The Philadelphia Tribune. She also held reporting and editing jobs at other newspapers. These included the Camden Courier-Post in New Jersey and The Philadelphia Bulletin. She also worked for The Baltimore Sun.

From 1987 to 1996, Branham worked at The Philadelphia Inquirer. She moved up in the newspaper's management. She was the New Jersey editor and worked on the city desk in Philadelphia. Later, she became the associate managing editor for features.

In 1996, Branham became the executive editor of The Tallahassee Democrat in Tallahassee, Florida. She was the first woman and the first African-American to hold this position. She left the Democrat in 1999. After that, she worked as an assistant to the publisher at The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette until 2002.

Academic Career and Leadership

Even while working at newspapers, Branham taught reporting and writing. She taught at Temple University. She also taught in a summer program for minority journalists. This program was at the University of California, Berkeley. She was also a visiting professional at other universities. These included the University of Missouri and the University of Florida.

After 25 years in journalism, Branham moved into academic leadership. From 2002 to 2008, she directed the School of Journalism. This was at the University of Texas at Austin. She also held a special professorship there.

Leading the Newhouse School

In 2008, Branham was chosen to be the dean of the Newhouse School. She was selected from 300 applicants. She took over from David Rubin, who had been dean for 18 years.

During Branham's time as dean, the school grew a lot. She helped create new centers. These included the Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship. She also helped start the Diane and Bob Miron Digital News Center. Another important addition was the W2O Group Center for Social Commerce.

Branham strongly supported the student-produced news website The NewsHouse. She also helped create a sports communications program. This led to the Newhouse Sports Media Center. She also helped set up programs in other cities. These were called Newhouse in New York and Syracuse University Los Angeles Semester.

Branham led a big fundraising effort. They raised $18 million to update Newhouse 2. This created many new facilities. In 2014, Oprah Winfrey helped dedicate the new Newhouse Studio and Innovation Center. This center included the Dick Clark Studios and the Alan Gerry Center for Media Innovation.

She also worked hard to make the school more diverse. Amy Falkner, who became acting dean after Branham, noted her success. The percentage of faculty members of color increased from 17% to 25%. The percentage of women faculty increased from 35% to 45%. Also, a quarter of the students are now people of color. Two-thirds of the students are women.

After her passing, Amy Falkner served as interim dean. Mark J. Lodato was appointed to the position in March 2020. Donald Newhouse, whose father founded the school, thanked Branham for her service. He said she took "a great school and with a monumental effort remolded it." She helped it stay important in a changing world.

Awards and Recognition

Lorraine Branham received several awards for her work.

• 2011: Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists Trailblazer Award.
• 2011: Temple University School of Communications and Theater Gallery of Success Award.
• 2017: Alumni Hall of Fame Honoree at Klein School of Temple University.

She also served as a judge for many important journalism awards. These included the Pulitzer Prize journalism awards. She also judged the Selden Ring Award for Investigative Journalism. Another was the Scripps National Journalism Awards.

Death and Legacy

Lorraine Branham passed away on April 2, 2019. She lived near Syracuse, New York. Her death was due to uterine cancer.

After her death, Syracuse University and the Newhouse School created two scholarship programs. These scholarships honor her memory. They help recruit and support Newhouse students. These students come from disadvantaged backgrounds or underrepresented groups.