Gwen Ifill’s Alma Mater Honors Her With New Media School

By Sameer Rao Nov 14, 2017

A Boston-area women’s liberal arts college will recognize one of its most famous alumna, the late journalist and PBS host Gwen Ifill, by opening a new school in her name next year.


The Boston Herald/The Assocciated Press reports today (November 14) that Simmons College will open the Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts and Humanities in time for the 2018 fall semester. Ifill earned her bachelors degree in communications from the college in 1977. She then embarked on a prolific career that included hosting "PBS NewsHour," making her half of the first all-women anchoring team on a network newscast. She worked on that program from 1999 until her death from cancer complications on this day last year.