Alumni News 11 | College of Media

Archives acquires Ebert materials

November 3, 2017

An important part of the legacy of the noted film critic, Urbana native, and U of I alumnus Roger Ebert has come home to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, thanks to a recent donation from the Chicago Sun-Times.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Archives has acquired the motion picture press kit files used by Ebert when he served as film critic for the newspaper. The files include 35mm slides and black and white glossy photographs, press release information promoting films from the 1980s through the early 2000s, as well as tear sheets of reviews by the Pulitzer Prize-winning critic.

Nine file drawers of color slides and approximately 57 file drawers of press kits for more than 5,200 films spanning a substantial portion of Ebert’s time as the Sun-Times film critic now reside at Illinois awaiting arrangement and description to make them accessible to students, scholars, and the public. The University Archives and the Communications Library at Illinois have already starting working together to create a complete index of all of the thousands of reviews Ebert wrote.

“This is an important story for the university to have,” said University Archivist William Maher. “What Roger learned here, how he honed his craft, got critical experience and gained confidence–all of that carried him forward. It propelled him. The university gave him that platform, at the same time that he changed the university himself.”

Other universities had approached the Sun-Times for the materials, however Chaz Ebert, Ebert’s widow and publisher of RogerEbert.com, wanted to see the materials go to the University of Illinois, Ebert’s alma mater.

“Chaz’s efforts to connect us with the Sun-Times have been an invaluable step forward to bring the Roger Ebert archival legacy home,” noted Maher.

There is little doubt that Ebert would be pleased with the decision. In Life Itself, Ebert’s 2011 memoir, he said, “I loved the University. It took me from childhood to my life.”

It was this influence and spirit that inspired an online exhibit all about Roger Ebert and his time at Illinois which made its debut at the 2017 Roger Ebert Film Festival this past April. The exhibit, created by the University Archives and containing examples of Ebert’s early writings as a student as well as his original correspondence with his faculty mentor, Dan Curley, is viewable at archives.library.illinois.edu/ebert.

Ultimately, the Sun-Times materials will reside within close proximity to the Roger Ebert Center being established within the College of Media at Illinois. The Ebert Center will offer undergraduate scholarships and mentoring, along with other programs to “inspire critical thinking and illuminate the human condition,” to those interested in filmmaking and film criticism.

“The College of Media is proud to have played a role in acquiring these materials for the University of Illinois,” said Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko, interim dean of the College of Media. “Roger loved this place; he established his film festival and the Ebert Center here, visited often and introduced us to Chaz, who has become a valued member of our media family. Roger’s enduring legacy is safe in her hands and with the University of Illinois Archives.”

For more information about the Ebert Center, visit https://media.illinois.edu/ebertcenter.

See original press release.

Share on social

McCraw named 2017 convocation speaker

February 9, 2017

David E. McCraw, a 1976 journalism graduate from Monticello, Illinois, will be the 2017 College of Media convocation speaker.

McCraw is vice president and deputy general counsel for The New York Times. He has a master’s degree from Cornell and a JD from Albany Law School.

McCraw has worked as a journalist and a free-lance writer, has taught journalism and worked as a lawyer at a New York law firm. He has been with The Times since 2002 and is also an adjunct professor at NYU Law School.

His work at The Times includes Freedom of Information Act requests, overseeing commercial litigation, and advising journalists on issues in news gathering including privacy laws. He also runs crisis response when a journalist runs into issue while reporting internationally.

McCraw gained national attention in Oct. 2016 when a brief letter he wrote to Donald Trump’s attorney in defense of a free press went viral.

Share on social

Sagers selected convocation speaker

April 4, 2016

Carol Hillsman Sagers ’79 BS Advertising, has been selected as the 2016 College of Media Convocation speaker.

Carol is the principal at CHS Marketing Consultants, a company she founded in 1996. Carol’s firm provides business development and marketing management services to clients that have included McDonald’s, Fashion Fair Cosmetics, Kraft Foods, L’Oréal, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Kellogg’s, Chicago Park District, The Federated Group and Unilever. In addition to her consultancy, Carol is an Assistant Professor at American Intercontinental University, where she teaches business and marketing courses.

Carol worked seven years as Marketing Director at McDonald’s USA. While there, she led all of the national marketing efforts for the African American Consumer Market and efforts targeted to the Asian American Consumer Market. She was responsible for the development and implementation of integrated marketing communications programs that drove year-over-year-over-year business growth. Prior to consulting and her work at McDonald’s, Carol worked for Soft Sheen Products (now a division of L’Oreal) in positions ranging from Group Marketing Manager to Vice President of Marketing with responsibility for 13 brands and more than 20 people. Carol also worked in Brand Management at Kraft Foods and at the Quaker Oats Company.

She is a past National Chairman of the Mosaic Council of the American Advertising Federation (the largest national trade organization for advertisers, advertising agencies, and media companies) and a former Executive Board Member of the Association of National Advertisers. Her client-side work in the Advertising Industry has been notable and award winning, including the prestigious Industry Career Achievement Award from the American Advertising Federation. Carol also has been recognized as Working Mother Magazine’s “Working Mother of the Year;” and the Chicago Illini of the Year from the University of Illinois Alumni Association.

Carol is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., The Links, Inc., and Carats, Inc. She also serves on the Leadership Council for the College of Media at the University of Illinois.

In addition to her Advertising degree from Illinois, Carol has an MBA Degree from Washington University in St. Louis. She is married to her college sweetheart, Rudolph Sagers, Jr. (another Illini). They have two grown sons (Ryan and Randall) and live in Chicago’s southern suburbs.

Share on social

Klues Family Foundation makes gift to College

October 21, 2015

The College of Media is pleased to announce a $1 million gift from the Jack and Elizabeth Klues Family Foundation for scholarships in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising in the College of Media at the University of Illinois.

The gift includes current use funds and a bequest. The proceeds will provide scholarship support to underrepresented students in advertising who have significant financial need. The scholarships will be for both internships and experiential learning opportunities. Funds will also be used to provide high school students with financial need scholarships to attend a College of Media summer camp on the Urbana-Champaign campus.

Mr. Klues, a 1977 advertising graduate of the College, began his career as an account executive in the media department at Leo Burnett. In 1996, he was part of the management team that created Starcom, a distinct, dedicated media services agency. Mr. Klues became the global CEO for Starcom MediaVest Group in 2000, making it the one of the largest of its type in the world. In 2003, following the acquisition by Publicis Groupe, he served as global CEO for Publicis Groupe Media (SMG and ZenithOptimedia). From 2007 until his retirement in 2012, he served as global CEO and Directoire member with oversight of media agencies, as well as Digitas and Razorfish under Publicis’ holding company’s digital and media agency, Vivaki.

He has served in many volunteer leadership roles for the College of Media since graduating through the recruitment of employees, teaching courses, advising the college and serving on the James Webb Young board.

Klues has also served on the Board of Directors for the Off the Street Club in Chicago for over 25 years. Off the Street Club is Chicago’s oldest boys and girls club and currently serves more than 3,000 kids in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. The gift to the College is a way for Klues to merge these two passions.

High school students who are involved in Off the Street Club will be one source of students considered for summer camp scholarships. “It’s important these kids know that not only is this world out there, but it’s accessible,” Klues said. “They can see it, feel it, touch it. We’ve got to give hope.”

“Providing access for underrepresented students and those with financial need is vital to the College and the University,” said Jan Slater, Dean of the College. “Access is a key element of our Land Grant mission. Improving diversity in the student population helps to improve diversity in the industries we serve – something those industries have been striving toward. Jack and Beth’s partnership and generosity is helping to make this vision a reality.”

“Jan Slater’s first and foremost concern is what is the best thing I can do to serve these students,” Klues said. “If I can play a small part, it snowballs from there.”

Share on social