Lew Klein Awards Honor to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer

The Lew Klein Awards, a tried and true Temple tradition, honored CNN’s Wolf Blitzer with the Lew Klein Excellence in the Media Award.

Blitzer is the lead anchor of The Situation Room.

School of Media & Communication’s Dean Boardman said “Wolf Blitzer has accomplished something few can claim: earning and keeping the nation’s trust for a quarter-century.”

The event also honored seven others, five alumni in the media, and two rising stars — who worked on Temple Update just years ago.

• Ari Brandt, (SMC ’92) CEO/co-founder of advertising group MediaBrix
• John Foy, (SMC ’89) Television and film producer
• Kristen Graham, (SMC ’00) Staff writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer
• Ritschard (Rich) Homberg, (SMC ’78) President and CEO, Detroit Public Television
• Linn Washington, Jr., (SMC ’74) Journalist and professor, Temple University

Rising Star Awards went to:

• Robert Czyzewicz, (SMC ’10) Co-Founder, 20/20 Visual Media
• Patrick Rosenbaum, (SMC ’11) Co-Founder, 20/20 Visual Media

Blitzer also spoke to students for an hour in a Q & A forum, called “A Conversation with Students.”

The awards are named after Broadcast Pioneer Lew Klein, who has taught at Temple University for over 60 years and has claims to fame such as producing American Bandstand and Phillies Baseball telecasts for 14 years.

Proceeds from the Lew Klein Awards benefit the Lew Klein Scholarship, which helps students defray tuition costs and encourage students to study abroad.