Creed C. Black

Creed C. Black (BSJ49) is a member of the inaugural class of the Medill Hall of Achievement of 1997. Black became president of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in 1988 after four decades in the newspaper business.

At age 17, he worked at the Paducah Sun-Democrat, and later worked on the Stars & Stripes during the occupation period after World War II. During his career, Black worked as an editorial writer and executive editor of The Nashville Tennessean, vice president and executive editor of the Savannah Morning News and Evening Press, and vice president and executive editor of the Wilmington (Del.) Morning News and Evening Journal.

In 1970, Black became the vice president and editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer following an 18-month period in Washington as assistant secretary for legislation of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. He was named chairman and publisher of the Lexington Herald-Leader Company in March 1977.

Black's other posts included president of the National Conference of Editorial Writers, the American Society of Newspaper Editors and the Southern Newspapers Publishers Association. He has served as a Pulitzer juror six times. Black earned Northwestern University's Alumni Medal in 1973 and was inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in 1986.

Black graduated from Medill with highest honors and with distinction.

Black died in 2011.