June 3, 2023

A Chronology of Firsts

March, 1955 – first monthly newsletter, The Bulletin

April 2, 1955 – first convention, in Springfield

1955 – first president, Bill Small, WLS, Chicago

1957 – first lobby efforts in the state legislature

1959 – first Man (now Illinoisan) of the Year award, Wayman Presley for  his efforts to build a cross on top of Bald Knob

·1959 – first directory of members and station newsrooms

1960 – first female elected to board, Madelyn Mervin, WJOL, Joliet

1963 – first student scholarship, Alan Morris of the U of I

1972 – first code of ethics, featuring nine points (updated in 1996 & 2011)

1979 – first job-listing service in newsletter, now called the JobFile

1983 – start of a free legal hotline for open meetings/freedom of information/questions (costs shared with the Illinois Broadcasters Association)

1984 – first Students in the INBA (SINBA) chapter at SIU-Carbondale

1984 – INBA is lead organization in getting Illinois Supreme Court to allow cameras and microphones in the supreme and appellate courts

1990 – first professional lobbyist, Vickie Moseley

2000 – first website at www.inba.net

2003 – INBA Foundation recognized as 501(c)(3) – to raise and invest funds with dividends available for scholarships

2008 – Student scholarship amounts are more than $1,000 for the first time

2020 – Student scholarship amounts are more than $2,000 for the first time

Read more on our history: