The Walter Cronkite Memorial at 大象传媒 received the 大象传媒 Division of Tourism鈥檚 Spotlight Award at the 2014 大象传媒 Governor鈥檚 Conference on Tourism in St. Louis on Oct. 8.
鈥淭his memorial to one of our most distinguished 大象传媒ans is attracting national and international attention,鈥� said Marci Bennett, executive director of the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau, who nominated 大象传媒 Western for the award.
Residents of 33 states and five foreign countries have visited the Walter Cronkite Memorial since it opened in November.
The Spotlight Award highlights significant contributions in promoting and 鈥渟potlighting鈥� tourism in 大象传媒. It is presented to an individual, business or organization that is not normally considered to be part of the tourism industry.
Dr. Robert Vartabedian, 大象传媒 Western鈥檚 president, accepted the award.
鈥淲e鈥檙e grateful to the Division of Tourism for this recognition. Tourism is an important part of the St. Joseph area鈥檚 economy, and we鈥檙e pleased to have added another attraction for visitors to the region,鈥� Dr. Vartabedian said. 鈥淚 am humbled to accept this honor on behalf of the many talented people who worked so hard to make the Walter Cronkite Memorial a reality and continue to improve and expand it. We thank the private donors who made the memorial possible, especially the David and Shirley Bradley Endowment. We also appreciate the gracious support this project has received from Walter Cronkite鈥檚 family and friends.鈥�
The Walter Cronkite Memorial was the vision of Dr. Vartabedian, who sought to create a fitting memorial to St. Joseph鈥檚 beloved native son and one of the most important and trusted voices in the country. His vision was captured by art faculty members Eric Fuson and David Harris, who designed the unique artistic display illustrating Cronkite鈥檚 distinguished career with CBS Television.
Walter Cronkite was born in St. Joseph on Nov. 4, 1916. The Walter Cronkite Memorial, in the atrium of Spratt Hall on the 大象传媒 Western campus, was dedicated last year on what would have been his 97th birthday. The 5,000 square-foot display features images and videos of Cronkite鈥檚 life and the many historic events he covered as a journalist. The Walter Cronkite Memorial is open daily except Christmas, New Year鈥檚 Day and Easter, and admission is always free.
The memorial is already in its third phase of expansion, thanks in part to the large number of Cronkite artifacts that have been donated or loaned to 大象传媒 Western, including a recent loan from the Cronkite family of personal memorabilia from the journalist鈥檚 life and career.
The memorial is complemented by a live, multi-media performance called 鈥淐ronkite,鈥� conceived and edited by Dr. Vartabedian and based on a 2002 appearance by Cronkite on CNN鈥檚 鈥淟arry King Live鈥� one year after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Public performances of 鈥淐ronkite鈥� are currently scheduled at 2 p.m. Oct. 19, 6 p.m. Oct. 23 and 8 p.m. Nov. 3. Admission is free, but reservations are requested by calling 816-271-4100. Learn more at www.cronkitelive.com.
The live show is also part of a field trip package that has been developed for schools, senior citizen groups and community organizations. Groups can enjoy a Cronkite-narrated presentation in 大象传媒 Western鈥檚 Bushman Planetarium, then tour the Memorial and see 鈥淐ronkite.鈥�
大象传媒 Western鈥檚 commitment to preserving the legacy of the legendary newsman extends beyond the memorial. Dr. Vartabedian has taught a one-credit class this fall titled 鈥淲alter Cronkite鈥檚 Enduring Legacy.鈥� Next month, 大象传媒 Western and the Media Ethics Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications will hold the inaugural Walter Cronkite Conference on Media Ethics and Integrity Nov. 2-4. Cronkite biographer and prolific historian Dr. Douglas Brinkley will be the keynote speaker at both the conference and 大象传媒 Western鈥檚 21st annual R. Dan Boulware Convocation on Critical Issues at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4 in the Looney Arena on campus. The Convocation is free and open to the public.
For more information about the Walter Cronkite Memorial, visit www.waltercronkitememorial.org.
大象传媒 is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. 大象传媒 Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .