Michigan journalist wins SVSU literature award

November 11, 2025

Michigan journalist wins SVSU literature award

Author John Gallagher, a veteran journalist who spent 32 years with the Detroit Free Press, has been awarded Saginaw Valley State University's 2025-2026 Stuart D. and Vernice M. Gross Award for Literature for his memoir "Rust Belt Reporter." The award is part of SVSU's community-minded commitment to recognize exceptional publications within Michigan.

Gallagher will visit SVSU in winter 2026, when he will accept the award, which comes with a $1,000 prize. While at SVSU, he will visit classes and student groups on campus.

"I am delighted to receive the Stuart D. and Vernice M. Gross Award for Literature because it brings attention to two causes I deeply believe in - good writing and urban innovation in our cities. I've always tried to use the first to advance the second, and I'm pleased that the judges agree," Gallagher said.

In his memoir, Gallagher recounts his journey from his first job at the legendary City News Bureau of Chicago to stints with newspapers in New York State to his more than three decades on the front lines of crises in the Motor City and its newspaper industry. In so doing, he presents a vivid, detailed chronicle of change in print media over the past half century, an insightful urban history covering economic, political and demographic challenges in the 1980s and 1990s, and a personal narrative filled with incident and reflection.

The Gross Award for Literature was established in 1994 by the late Stuart D. Gross and his wife, Vernice; it is administered by SVSU. Since 1997, the award has been presented annually, with a few exceptions, to published works in regional history or historical fiction/drama. Preference is given to Michigan subject matter or strong Michigan connections on the part of the author.

Winners are selected by a panel of judges from SVSU's faculty and staff. Judges this year were M. Patricia Cavanaugh, professor of English; Jules Gehrke, professor of history; Tiler Jewell, research and collection development librarian; Carlos Ramet, associate dean of the College of Arts and Behavioral Sciences; and Michelle Strasz, research and online course support librarian.

Employed for many years as a journalist with the Saginaw News, Gross was an early member of SVSU's staff and served in a variety of public affairs roles. He was recognized as a regional historian and published several books. Among his writings are "Saginaw: A History of the Land and the City," "When Timber was King" and "Where There is a Will." Following his retirement from SVSU, Gross wrote and produced a play, "Let's Have Lunch Sometime." He died in 1996; Mrs. Gross in 2001.