Don Tillman Class of 1957

A 1957 Graduate of Marion High School, Mr. Tillman went on to higher education at Indiana University and Northwestern University. He began his professional career, at WMRI Radio in Marion, and later was one of the creators of WTAF-TV Channel 31, Marion's first television station. After a stop at WQAD-TV in Moline, Illinois, he became Station Manager in Charge of Programming and Production for WTTV in Indianapolis. Mr. Tillman was responsible for making WTTV one of the top and most respected television stations in the country.

In 1981 he managed KTTV in Los Angeles and Metro Media Studios in HOLLYWOOD. Mr. Tillman was responsible for the production facilities for such shows as “All in The Family”, “Family Ties”, “Facts of Life”, “Married with Children”, the “Simpsons” and he also created the long running Fox show “Comic Strip Live”.

His many accolades in his career, include four EMMY Awards, Gold Medals from International Film Festivals, five Telly Awards, six Angel Awards and two International Olympic Media Awards. His most prized award, “The Sagamore of the Wabash”, presented by Governor Otis Bowen for the nine year production of the Governor's television program “Report From The Statehouse”.

During his time in HOLLYWOOD, he served two terms as Chairman of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Currently he is one of the nine Trustees of the World Famous "Hollywood Sign", a Director of the William H. Parker Foundation of the Los Angeles Police Department and Executive Director of Television for the University of Southern California.

Don has been married to Dianne Nelson Tillman, "Class of "59", since 1965, they have two children, Donna and Jeff, three grandchildren and another on the way.