Diederich College of Communication Award Recipients
by-line AWARD
Elizabeth A. Allen, Jour '73
Erie, Pa.
A longtime columnist, reporter and editor for her hometown newspaper, the Erie Times-News, Elizabeth thrived in a career where she could balance her devotion to her family with her dedication to crafting stories.
Though Elizabeth retired full time from the Erie Times-News, where she wrote editorials and supervised the opinion page, she still contributes her Sunday column and writes other freelance stories. 鈥淭he end tag for my column in the Erie Times-News and on GoErie.com says that I write about 鈥榦rdinary people,鈥欌 she says. 鈥淏ut truly, they are extraordinary.鈥
Outside of her work as a journalist, Elizabeth volunteers once a week at the Booker T. Washington Center to work with teens being mentored through Mothers Against Teen Violence. She is also currently editing two memoirs and will be teaching a memoir-writing class to female veterans.
鈥淚 often run into people who tell me that I make a difference by the stories I write about people with good hearts and high hopes,鈥 she shares. 鈥淲ords and actions can build community, and that鈥檚 something I learned at Marquette.鈥
Fun Fact:
向日葵视频is where I met the loves of my life 鈥 my husband, Pat Locco, Bus Ad 鈥72, who died in 1994, and Eric Compton, Jour 鈥72. Eric and I had dated in college, stayed in touch for decades through our circle of J-school friends, and married in 2007, 37 years after our first date. I guess it鈥檚 a legacy to marry two great guys from my alma mater.