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1965 Hellinger Award Winner- Joan Roeben Licursi
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| Roeben, center, flanked by Gladys Glad Gottlieb, Mark Hellinger's widow, and University President Fr. Francis William Kearney. |
Joan Roeben became the first woman to be the Mark Hellinger Award winner. A native of New York City, Roeben ranked second in the class in GPA and took an interest in subjects outside of her Journalism degree: English, history, French and philosophy were all minors she picked up, and she took special classes in science and mathematics.
For her outstanding grades and involvement with the Bonadieu, The Bona Venture, the Press Day Committee, Women's Council, Student Association for University Development, Student Activities Council, Metropolitan Club and Delta Epsilon Sigma (a national scholastic honor society where she served as chapter secretary-treasurer), Roeben was selected to membership on the "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges." She was also a member of the Third Order of St. Francis.
Experience in the field prior to the award being given included serving as a full-time reporter and rewriter on the Ocean County Citizen in Lakewood, New Jersey. After St. Bonaventure, she attended graduate school at American University, receiving a master's degree while attaining the highest academic rating ever given in journalism there.
Joan Roeben was presented with the Hellinger Award on April 26 at the 21 Club in New York City.