April 15, 2004

Obituary: Jack Z. Sissors

Jack Z. Sissors, 84, professor emeritus of journalism, died March 22 in the Illinois Veterans Home in Manteno.

Mr. Sissors, who received three degrees from Northwest-ern, joined the Medill School of Journalism in 1966. He retired in 1992 and was named to the Medill Hall of Achievement in 1997.

Mr. Sissors, an expert on media planning and an author, entered the Army after high school and attended the Medill School on the GI bill, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1951 and a master’s degree in 1952. He received a doctorate in education from Northwestern in 1957.

He administered newspaper design contests for the Inland Daily Press Association for more than 20 years. In 1985, Mr. Sissors received the Buck Buchanan Media Award for outstanding contributions to media education from the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency. He was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Advertising in 1993 for his contributions to teaching media.

Mr. Sissors was the author of several books, including “Advertising Media Planning,” which was reissued several times since it was published in the 1970s. The book explains how to assess where and when to buy and place advertisements to efficiently deliver audiences. He also was co-author of the “Art of Editing.”

At Medill, he was the creator and editor of The Journal of Media Planning, a journal for professional planners, covering research and new ideas.

He is survived by his wife, Dorothy; three sons, Daniel, Wayne and Ken; a stepdaughter, Deborah Klebe; a stepson, Jeffrey Mell; and eight grandchildren.