March 1 The Occidental and Los Angeles Times will host journalist and Occidental alum Patt Morrison ‘74 in conversation with co-worker and LAist.com (formerly KPCC) radio star Larry Mantle. The event is part of the LA Times’ new community outreach program and aims to connect a new generation of students with the stories of two LA icons.
Morrison graduated with a degree in Diplomacy & World Affairs, but took an unpaid position at the Los Angeles Times when she was 18. She has since gone on to win two Pulitzer Prizes, six Emmys and a dozen Golden Mike awards. Morrison was also a trustee of the college from 1998-2002 and has hosted several events. Mantle, host of AirTalk with Larry Mantle, has received the Society of Professional Journalists Radio Journalist of the Year award and the Associated Press’ Mark Twain award.
This latest event, orchestrated by The Occidental and Los Angeles Times, is part of a larger series by Anh Do, Community Engagement Editor at the LA Times.
“My job focuses on spotlighting our journalists and our journalism,” said Do. “Because Occidental is Patt’s alma mater, it’s a good fit.”
The talk will focus on Morrison’s rise in the media industry, specifically at a time when the news desk was a particularly hostile place for a young woman, Do said.
“We will talk about what it was like for Patt to walk in the city desk, decades ago,” said Do. “At the time the Los Angeles Times was populated by men and Morrison was a pioneer in that era.”
According to Mia Anzalone (senior), senior editor at The Occidental, the event has been in the works for most of the academic year and cements a strong relationship between The Occidental and the LA Times. Given how rushed each semester is, however, Anzalone said it has often fallen to the wayside. She said this is the culmination of a lot of joint hard work.
The Occidental newspaper adviser, Barbara Thomas, a former LA Times journalist, said she reached out to Do to suggest a collaboration.
“Thomas really helped bridge that gap to actually bring the event to life,” said Anzalone. “It’s been in the works for a while, just thinking about who we’d like to have here; I think it’s always been [Morrison].”
According to Anzalone, stories like Morrison’s are an inspiration to all students, not just those who are pursuing careers in journalism or media.
“For someone like me who still doesn’t know if they want to go into journalism, the fact that Patt has had this path from Oxy and through the [LA] Times is validating in the sense that it proves that option is out there,” Anzalone said.
According to Anzalone, this event is for everyone, not just journalism students.
“I think for people who aren’t even considering journalism it’s just a way to understand Patt’s history and how our history, LA’s history, can be written through her eyes,” Anzalone said.
Do said this event is about more than journalism, and instead should serve as a way to connect more members of the community with the news that should matter to them, be it through Morrison’s columns, Mantle’s radio shows, or any other news that’s out there.
“I think we demystify what journalists do and how they produce their stories,” said Do. “You don’t have to read everything [it’s the role of this program] to show people the whole buffet of information that’s available to them. I guarantee 1000 percent that there is something on the menu that you will like.”
The event coincides with a recent donation Morrison has made to the Mary Norton Clapp Library Special Collections Department — the writer gave over 300 articles, signed books and ephemera. In one copy of Jarald Podair’s City of Dreams: Dodger Stadium and the Birth of Modern Los Angeles, a handwritten note reads “To Patt, Quintessential Angeleno.”
According to Special Collections Archivist Alanna Quan, collections like these are vital to maintaining Occidental’s history. Morrison’s donation adds to the list of previous alums whose belongings are now exhibited in the school, such as former LA Times journalist Bill Henry.
“It feels really important,” said Quan. “I hope that it’s evidence of what Oxy means for them, as a touchstone and experience. I think it’s good for Oxy that Morrison brings these stories back to the college.”
Julie Tanaka, Director of Special Collections, said that a donor like Morrison is perfect for the college and that Special Collections looks forward to cultivating this relationship through events and curation.
“Perhaps we’ve exhibited some of her work, but she wants to also give a talk about how this came about, or these books were from a particular point in her career,” said Tanaka. “There are ways of connecting with the donor and maintaining relationships outside of other donations; there are ways of actually bringing the donor in to be an active-looking part of the collection. I think Patt’s a perfect person to do that work.”
Looking forward to the event, Anzalone said that everyone who can should attend.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m not saying that as an advertisement,” said Anzalone. “I think it actually is a once in a lifetime opportunity when you have two of these media legends in LA come to our school. You don’t even have to drive anywhere.”
The panel will be hosted on Friday March 1st at 6 p.m. in Mosher 1.
Contact Will White at wwhite@oxy.edu.
