Jim Crook, former director of the School of Journalism and Public Relations, was this year’s honoree at the Front Page Follies, which was held recently at the Marriott and included over 300 guests.
“The event was started 25 years ago by Jim (Crook), Jeff Bradley and Katherine Foster,” said Adina Chumley, president of the East Tennessee Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. “He is known as the father of the Front Page Follies and is now retiring.”
The event, sponsored by SPJ, was originally held at the Hyatt in 1979 as a part of the Dogwood Arts Festival to fund a scholarship in honor of Tom Siler, a sports writer for the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
This year’s event funded scholarships for communications students at both the University of Tennessee and Pellissippi State Technical Community College.
“I was very pleased to be honored with a scholarship in my name to be given to a UT journalism and a UT broadcasting student next spring,” Crook said.
Entertainment at the event was provided by various skits, which included a musical introduction to UT’s new president, John W. Shumaker, the state budget crisis, UT football, a tribute to New York firefighters and other news making stories.
“This has been an especially fertile news year,” said Chumley. “Even though it is a roast, it’s all in good fun and for a good cause.”
The skits were introduced by news anchors Robin Wilhoit of WBIR-TV, Lori Tucker of WATE-TV and Liz Tedone of WVLT-TV. Also featured in the skits were cameo appearances by meteorologists Matt Hinkin of WATE-TV, Craig Edwards of WVLT-TV and Mary Loos of WBIR-TV.
“Community leaders both elected and running always show up because they’re who are poked fun at,” said Chumley.
The honoree was not spared from the laughs. This year’s invitations included a cartoon from Charlie Daniels, a Knoxville News-Sentinel cartoonist. Daniels’ cartoon pictured Richard Nixon holding a peace sign and featured the caption “I am not a Jim Crook.”
Crook, who directed the first nine Front Page Follies, expressed his gratitude to SPJ for continuing with the good-natured roast.
“I’m especially proud of our east Tennessee chapter of SPJ for continuing the show and the scholarships,” she said. “They have given more than $30,000 to UT for journalism and broadcasting scholarships over the past 24 years.”
