Bruce Frassinelli Keynote Speaker for Spring Graduate Commencement Exercises

Journalist, editor, publisher, educator and East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania graduate, Bruce Frassinelli ’61 M’69, was the keynote speaker for the university’s graduate commencement ceremony at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 11, 2012, in Koehler Fieldhouse.  Employed as a communications and educational professional for more than 50 years, Frassinelli received his bachelor of science degree in secondary education with a French major in 1961 and was one of the first four recipients of the master of arts degree in political science in 1969 from what was then East Stroudsburg State College.

Frassinelli began his career in communications while at ESU in 1960 when he was a part-time announcer for Stroudsburg radio station WVPO.  He eventually became the program, news and sports director of the station until 1966 when he became Pocono bureau chief of The Easton Express newspaper (now known as The Express-Times).  He held several regional editorial positions before his appointment as the paper’s managing editor in 1981, then editor in 1990 and general manager in 1991. In 1972, Mr. Frassinelli and a colleague earned a Pulitzer Prize nomination for a series of articles “The Rape of the Poconos,” which exposed over-development and land fraud in the second-home industry in the Poconos that led to Congressional legislation. While he was the newspaper’s editor in 1989, The Express was named as one of the 14 best small-city newspapers (under 50,000 circulation) in the United States and the best in Pennsylvania.

In 1992, Frassinelli was promoted to publisher and editor of The Palladium-Times in Oswego, New York.  He retired from the newspaper in 1998 and taught journalism and communication courses at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego. He has been a senior columnist for Oswego County Business Magazine and a companion publication, 55 Plus, since 2002.

While in Oswego, Frassinelli was the first external chair of the board of directors of Oswego County National Bank. He was involved in numerous community initiatives and served as governor of Rotary District 7150 in Central New York and president of the Oswego Rotary Club. He served as coordinator and master of ceremonies for the regional finals of the Scripps’ National Spelling Bee for 25 years in both New York and Pennsylvania.

Frassinelli teaches online communication ethics courses for SUNY Oswego, has taught at Lehigh Carbon Community College, East Stroudsburg University, Northampton Community College, Strayer University and Stroudsburg, Notre Dame of East Stroudsburg and Washington, New Jersey, high schools.

He received the coveted Distinguished Alumni Award from East Stroudsburg University last fall. He also received the Distinguished Service Award from the Pocono Mountains Jaycees and the Optimist of the Year Award from the Optimists of the Stroudsburg Club.

Frassinelli resides in Schnecksville, Pa., with his wife, Marie. They have five children and nine grandchildren.

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