By Britni Bateman
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale will name its School of Journalism and Advertising in the College of Arts and Media after alumna Charlotte Thompson Suhler in recognition of her recent gift to the school.
The dedication ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, in the journalism wing of the Communications Building, near the Daily Egyptian entrance. CAM students and staff will direct visitors. Chancellor Austin Lane, College of Arts and Media Dean Hong Cheng, and School of Journalism and Advertising Director Jan Thompson will deliver remarks. A reception will follow.
The School of Journalism and Advertising is one of six schools in the College of Arts and Media, which also includes the schools of Architecture, Art and Design, Media Arts, Music, and Theater and Dance. With this naming, it becomes the first school at SIU to be named for a woman.
Suhler’s gift will support the school’s mission, as determined by its director in consultation with the dean. Valuing both research and creative activity, the school is known for its lab-based learning model, where students gain professional-level training beginning in their first year. Newsrooms, labs, student organizations and class projects give them practical experience and help build résumés and portfolios that stand out in a competitive marketplace.
“Charlotte Thompson Suhler’s remarkable generosity and pioneering spirit embody the very best of SIU,” said Matt Kupec, vice chancellor for development and alumni relations and CEO of the SIU Foundation. “Her gift not only honors her legacy as one of our trailblazing alumni but also ensures that future generations of Salukis will have the resources and inspiration to pursue their own bold paths in journalism and advertising.”
Suhler, who attended SIU from 1961 to 1965, was among the first women to major in advertising.
“I was the only woman in my advertising classes,” she said. “Maybe I was the first woman to graduate as an advertising major. I didn’t think anything about it — it was just natural for me.”
“Mrs. Suhler’s legacy exemplifies courage, entrepreneurship and compassion. As a pioneering alumna, she has already distinguished our renowned School of Journalism and Advertising through her professional achievements. This transformative gift ensures her legacy will continue to inspire generations of students to come,” said Hong Cheng, dean of the College of Arts and Media. “On behalf of the college, I extend our heartfelt gratitude for her commitment to advancing our mission and empowering future leaders in journalism and advertising.”
Breaking barriers at SIU
Raised in Mount Vernon, Illinois, Suhler grew up in a newspaper family.
“By 16, I had my own advertising accounts and sometimes filled in on the editorial side,” she said. “The only thing I didn’t do was run the Linotypes.”
Still, she recalled, women were encouraged to choose “safe” career paths. “At the time, women were told, ‘You should get your teaching degree. You can always fall back on teaching,’” she said. “So, I did. I taught English and journalism and sponsored the award-winning newspaper at Mount Vernon Township High School for a year. But what I wanted was advertising.”
At SIU, she carved her own path. She joined the Tri Sigma sorority, where she became president, and helped organize, with the assistance of the student body president, the first student protest about changes for spring break, as well as sitting in classes where history unfolded.
“When President Kennedy was assassinated, we were in a headline-writing lab,” she said. “Tears were streaming down our faces as we counted type to fit: ‘Kennedy dies,’ ‘Kennedy assassinated.’ It was like being a real reporter. I still get teary about that.”
“Charlotte Thompson Suhler is the perfect role model for our students and Salukis everywhere,” said Jan Thompson, director of the School of Journalism and Advertising. “She achieved remarkable success working alongside some of the most celebrated journalists of her time, and her charitable work reflects a selfless dedication to improving American life — all from a girl who grew up in Mount Vernon, Illinois.”
A love story and a life in media
During her senior year, Suhler attended a professional meeting in St. Louis, where she met John Suhler, a Kansas University student. A year and a half later, they married, beginning a lifelong adventure in journalism, publishing and philanthropy.
Together, they worked at the center of New York media, surrounded by icons such as Clay Felker, Milton Glaser, Gloria Steinem, Jimmy Breslin and Tom Wolfe.
“It was the heyday of the communications business,” she said. “It was fun.”
In 2009, the couple co-founded the Suhler Family Investment Office to make equity investments in select small and early-stage media companies. Mr. Suhler also founded Veronis Suhler, an investment banking firm specializing in communication properties.
Champion for women and students
Throughout her career, Suhler broke barriers for women in media and beyond. Early on, she helped connect Gloria Steinem with publisher Betty Harris, a meeting that helped launch Ms. Magazine. Later, she helped establish child care centers for working parents, including one that placed her young daughter on the cover of Time magazine under the headline: “Who’s watching the kids?”
She also co-founded the Fairfield County Community Foundation and helped launch the Fund for Women and Girls, now the largest of its kind on the East Coast.
“We started with nothing,” she said. “It’s now the largest fund for women and girls on the East Coast.”
Her dedication to SIU remained strong. She served on the SIU Foundation Board from 1991 to 1997 and the Dean’s National Industry Council for the College of Mass Communications and Media Arts — now the College of Arts and Media — from 2004 to 2011. She also established a scholarship to support SIU women in their junior and senior years.
“I just wanted to help women continue,” she said. “I hope they look and say, ‘If she can do it, I can do it.’”
A legacy of opportunity at SIU
SIU holds a rare distinction as one of only 21 universities nationwide — out of nearly 4,000 — recognized by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions for Higher Education for both Research 1 status, the highest level of research activity, and as an Opportunity College and University, which honors institutions that expand access and foster social mobility.
This dual recognition reflects SIU’s commitment to advancing knowledge while opening doors for students from all backgrounds. Suhler’s gift to the School of Journalism and Advertising embodies that mission, ensuring students can thrive in a rapidly evolving media world.
This contribution also supports Imagine SIU 2030, the SIU Foundation’s comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the campaign has raised more than $422 million toward its $500 million goal, making it the fifth-largest fundraising effort in Illinois higher education. In the most recent fiscal year, the foundation awarded more than $5.6 million in scholarships to 2,111 students, representing 17% of the student body.
Gifts like Suhler’s ensure that SIU continues to grow as a place where research, creative activity, innovation, opportunity and access come together to change lives for generations to come.
To support the SIU College of Arts and Media, visit siuf.org/cam.