When the Dow Jones News Fund was organized in 1958 training high school journalism teachers was its first priority. It offered fellowships for summer journalism study on college campuses and the most enterprising fellows entered a national competition showing how their study helped their students. The winner became the first National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year in 1960. Since then DJNF has named 61 National High School Journalism Teachers of the Year.

Pictured above are previous DJNF Teachers of the Year at the 2016 JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Indianapolis (L-R): John Bowen, Mitch Eden, Jim McGonnell, Dow Tate, Lori Keekley, Karl Grubaugh, Valerie Kibler, Candace Bowen, Jim Streisel, Robin Sawyer, Aaron Manfull, Ellen Austin. Photo by Bradley Wilson

2020 Erinn Harris, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia
2019 Melissa Falkowski, Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School, Parkland, Florida
2018 Tom Gayda, North Central High School, Indianapolis
2016 Lori Keekley, St. Louis Park (Minnesota) High School
2015 Mitch Eden, Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
2014 Chris Waugaman, Prince George (Virginia) High School
2013 Jim Streisel, Carmel (Indiana) High School
2012 Ellen Austin, Palo Alto (California) High School
2011 Aaron Manfull, Francis Howell North High School, St. Charles, Missouri
2010 Valerie Penton Kibler, Harrisonburg (Virginia) High School
2009 Paul Kandell, Palo Alto (California) High School
2008 Karl Grubaugh, Granite Bay (California) High School
2007 Jim McGonnell, Findlay (Ohio) High School
2006 Alan Weintraut, Annandale (Virginia) High School
2005 Linda Ballew, Great Falls (Montana) High School
2004 Brenda Gorsuch, West Henderson High School, Hendersonville, North Carolina
2003 Beth Fitts, Oxford (Mississippi) High School
2002 Donald Bott, Amos Alonzo Stagg High School, Stockton, Caliornia
2001 Terry Nelson, Muncie (Indiana) Central High School
2000 Robin Sawyer, Manteo (North Carolina) High School
1999 Randy Swikle, Johnsburg (Illinois) High School
1998 Kathleen Zwiebel, Pottsville (Pennsylvania) Area High School
1997 C. Dow Tate, Hillcrest High School, Dallas
1996 Merle Dieleman, Pleasant Valley (Iowa) Community High School
1995 Pat S. Graff, La Cueva High School, Albuquerque
1994 Nick Ferentinos*, Homestead High School, Cupertino, California
1993 Jack Kennedy, City High School, Iowa City
1992 Gloria Grove Olman, Utica (Michigan) High School
1991 Carol Lange, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia
1990 Steve O’Donoghue, The Media Academy at John C. Fremont, High School, Oakland, California
1989 Candace Perkins Bowen, St. Charles (Illinois) High School
1988 Robert L. Button, Grosse Pointe (Michigan) South High School
1987 John Cutsinger, Westlake High School, Austin
1987 Jack Harkrider, Anderson High School, Austin
1986 Alyce Culpepper, South Plantation High School, Plantation, Florida
1985 George Taylor, Tamaqua (Pennsylvania) Area High School
1984 Rod Vahl*, Central High School, Davenport, Iowa
1983 John Bowen, Lakewood (Ohio) High School
1982 Homer L. Hall, Kirkwood (Missouri) High School
1981 Wayne Brasler, University High School, Chicago
1980 Dr. Regis Boyle*, Walt Whitman High School, Bethesda, Maryland
1979 Jackie Engel*, McPherson (Kansas) High School
1978 Col. Charles Savedge*, Augusta Military Academy, Fort Defiance, Virginia
1977 Ron Clemons, Truman High School, Independence, Missouri
1976 William Steinecke, Jr.*, Frontier Regional School, S. Deerfield, Michigan
1975 Christina Beeson-Bailey*, Colton (California) High School
1974 Randy Stano, A.N. McCallum High School, Austin
1973 Ronnie Hayes, Lewiston (Idaho) High School
1972 J. Brent Norlem, Brooklyn Center (Minnesota) High School
1971 Ann Heintz*, St. Mary Center for Learning, Chicago
1970 Elaine Pritchett, Memorial Senior High School, Houston
1969 Virginia Woodring*, School District of Springfield, Missouri
1968 Ruth Marie Griggs*, Broad Ripple High School, Indianapolis
1967 Mary Benedict*, Arlington High School, Indianapolis
1966 Ralph Chavez, Thomas Jefferson High School, El Paso
1965 Dorry Coppoletta*, Oakland (California) Technical High School
1964 Jim Powell, Carlsbad (New Mexico) Senior High School
1963 Opal Eckert, Maryville (Missouri) High School
1962 Dorothy Greer*, Topeka (Kansas) High School
1961 Anthony L. Cassen*, Blair Academy, Blairstown, New Jersey
1960 Dr. William Nolan, Harry Ellis High School, Richmond, California
*deceased