ICCTA Distinguished Alumnus Award

2004 Recipient



John W. Fountain
Author and visiting scholar
Wilbur Wright College (1984)


A father at 17, a college dropout at 19, John Fountain was on the verge of giving up all hope.

Two things saved him -- his faith and his belief in the transforming nature of education.

Now an award-winning reporter and formerNew York Timescorrespondent, he teaches aspiring journalists and has started his own inspirational publishing company.

John W. Fountain accepts his 2004 Distinguished Alumnus Award.
John W. Fountain accepts the ICCTA's
2004 Distinguished Alumnus Award.

His autobiography,True Vine: A Young Black Man's Journey of Faith, Hope and Clarity, is required reading at several Chicago high schools. One chapter, entitled "The Wright Stuff," focuses on his transforming experiences at Wilbur Wright College.

"In truth, it is Wright that gave me the stuff to right my life, to live my dream, to affect the lives of my family for generations to come," says Fountain. "If you ask me what Wright has meant to me, the answer is: It only changed my life."