By SABEW staff
PHOENIX, Feb. 15 – Contributions to a memorial fund to honor Dave Morrow, a member of the Board of Governors of SABEW and former editor of TheStreet.com, passed $100,000 Friday as TheStreet.com announced it was pledging $50,000.
The award matches a personal donation previously pledged by Jim Cramer, TheStreet.com co-founder and chairman, as well as host of CNBC’s “Mad Money.”
Warren Watson, executive director of SABEW, said more than $3,000 in other donations have been received since the Dave Morrow Prize for Audacious and Talented Financial Journalists, as the fund is formally called, was set up barely a week ago.
Meanwhile, Morrow will be honored at a memorial service in the atrium of the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, at 2 p.m. Feb. 26. Morrow, 49, who last year began work as the first holder of the endowed Reynolds Chair at the school, died Feb. 1. Reynolds School Dean Jerry Ceppos said those attending the service will be invited to tell stories about Morrow. His family is also planning a memorial for him on March 20 in Spartanburg, S.C.
The memorial fund in Morrow’s name will aid students and honor superior business journalism. Morrow was a pioneer of TheStreet.com and worked with Cramer during Morrow’s tenure as its editor-in-chief from 2001 to 2009.
SABEW is the fund’s host. Donations in the form of checks should be made payable to the Dave Morrow Prize and sent to SABEW, University of Missouri – Columbia, School of Journalism, 134 Neff Annex, Columbia MO, 65211-1200. Make credit card donations by calling SABEW’s Vicki Edwards, (573) 882-2878. SABEW is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, and donations will be tax deductible. SABEW’s tax identification number is 36-3297751.
Morrow’s successor as TheStreet.com editor-in-chief, Glenn Hall, said that Morrow’s family has requested that money be used for both college tuition for promising students aspiring to careers in financial journalism as well as for students or young journalists seeking to attend SABEW’s annual conference.
Morrow’s term on the SABEW board of directors was to expire in the spring of 2011. His unexpired term is to be filled as part of a regular election of board members to be held at the society’s 47th Annual Conference March 19-21 in Phoenix.
Morrow’s business journalism career also included stints at The New York Times, Smart Money and Fortune magazines and the Detroit Free Press.
“Morrow had a positive effect on so many people in business journalism,” said Warren Watson, SABEW’s executive director. “We’re pleased by the level of generosity on the part of Jim Cramer and TheStreet.com. The money will be helpful to so many.”
Added Chief Executive Daryl Otte of TheStreet.com, “TheStreet.com owes much to Dave Morrow, whose talent, integrity and journalistic vision helped us become a leader among online financial news organizations.”
Condolences can be sent to one of Morrow’s sisters, Beth Hammond, at 305 Lake Road, Inman, SC, 29349.
For more information on the fund, contact Watson at watson@sabew.org or (602) 496-5186.
