CEO Insights: Endowment Named For John Black; New Football Letter Editor Named

I have found it difficult to find the right words to properly thank John Black ’62 for his extraordinary service to the Penn State Alumni Association.?As had been?previously announced, the 2021 football season marked John’s last as the editor of The Football Letter, a post he held since 1976, when his friend, mentor, and the inaugural editor of The Football Letter, Ridge Riley ’32, passed away. Sometimes words just aren’t enough, and you have to find other ways.??

The Alumni Association is pleased to announce the creation of an endowment to honor John Black’s 46 years of service to the Alumni Association as the editor of The Football Letter.?This endowment — officially named the John Black For The Glory Endowment for Student Interns, to incorporate his signature signoff — will support communication interns at the Alumni Association to cultivate their love of spreading the good news of Penn State.?We are thrilled to honor John in this way and to continue his legacy through our student internships.?If you would like to support this endowment as a way of thanking John for his service to Penn State, our alumni, and our fans,?please click here. You can also view?our video of a recognition ceremony?in the Beaver Stadium press box honoring John.

I am also pleased to share that Alumni Association staff member John Patishnock Jr. ’05 will take over the editor role for The Football Letter.?Patishnock is a graduate of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications and has contributed to The Football Letter’s expansion in recent years, co-hosting The Football Letter Live and providing extensive video and social media coverage of the team and corresponding alumni events.?Also continuing in his role as The Football Letter photographer will be Steve Manuel ’82, ’92g.

You can find past editions of The Football Letter on our?website?and watch last season’s episodes of Football Letter Live on our?YouTube page.

For the Glory,

PJC