Jerrold Kenneth Footlick ’55, an emeritus life trustee at The College of Wooster, accomplished journalist, author, and longtime advocate for higher education whose career spanned more than five decades, passed away on July 18, 2026, in Manhattan, New York.
After graduating from The College of Wooster in 1955, Footlick earned a law degree from Harvard Law School and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the London School of Economics. Although trained in law, Footlick established his career in journalism where he covered a wide variety of topics, from education to civil issues.
Footlick worked for newspapers in Indianapolis and Washington, D.C., before joining Newsweek, where he reported on education and the judiciary. During his tenure, he became the founding editor of Newsweek On Campus, helping shape coverage of higher education for a national audience. He also authored four books on higher education and edited three volumes exploring civil rights, education, and economics.
A history alumnus, Footlick remained deeply connected to Wooster throughout his life. In 2015, he authored An Adventure in Education: The College of Wooster from Howard Lowry to the Twenty-First Century, chronicling the institution's history and the legacy of former President Howard Lowry, while reflecting on the transformative role the College played in his own life.
Footlick served the College for nearly 40 years as an alumni leader and trustee. He was an alumni trustee from 1978 to 1984 before joining the Board of Trustees in 1988, where he served until being named trustee emeritus in 2008. During his tenure, he chaired the Student Development Committee, the Trusteeship and Governance Committee and the Academic Mission Committee, helping guide the College through a period of growth and strategic planning.
His dedication to the College also extended to philanthropy. A 50-year consecutive donor, Footlick supported The Wooster Fund and other areas of need in addition to establishing the Jerrold K. Footlick Endowed Scholarship to support students with financial need majoring in English or communication studies or pursuing careers in journalism. In recognition of his service, the College honored him with the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1978 and the McKee Volunteer Award in 2016. Read more about Footlick’s life and family in his obituary, available here.