PULLMAN, Wash. — Al Ruddy, longtime associate director of News and Information Services at Washington State University, has been named an “Honorary Cougar” by the WSU Alumni Association. The announcement was made Jan. 27 at a ceremony in the Lighty Student Services Building. He will retire Jan. 31 after 26 years on the WSU faculty.
Ginny Boyle, associate director of the Alumni Association, made the presentation. The award is the highest honor the Alumni Association bestows on an individual who did not attend WSU.
WSU President Samuel Smith, in brief comments, praised Ruddy for his honesty, integrity and sense of values.
A Spokane native, Ruddy earned a bachelor’s degree in English/journalism at Eastern Washington College in 1960.
He joined the WSU faculty in 1972 as a technical editor in the College of Engineering, where he was also responsible for news writing and film production. From May to August 1974, he represented WSU as assistant director of broadcast services at Expo ’74 world fair in Spokane.
He moved to News and Information Services in 1976 and was named associate director in 1988. He also taught courses in writing for film and broadcast news writing at WSU in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Prior to coming to WSU, Ruddy spent 11 years with KHQ Radio-TV in Spokane as a reporter, photographer, editor, newscaster and producer.
He served as president of the Spokane Press Club in 1971.
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