SUNY New Paltz Grad Among Pulitzer Prize Winners

NEW PALTZ — Alex Storozynski, a 1983 graduate of the State University of New York at New Paltz, was among the winners of the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing. Storozynski is a member of the editorial board at the New York Daily News that earned the prestigious award for its “Showdown at the Apollo” series, a campaign to save Harlem’s legendary theater.

While a New Paltz student, Storozynski majored in political science and minored in journalism, was arts editor for the Oracle and held an internship at The Legislative Gazette, the weekly newspaper of New York State government, in Albany. His hometown was Rockaway Beach.

Since graduating from SUNY New Paltz, Storozynski served as editor of Empire State Report magazine, was deputy director of public information for the New York State Thruway Authority, and was a press spokesman for former state Attorney General Dennis Vacco. He has worked for the Daily News for the past three years

The Pulitzer Board cited The News for “its effective campaign to rescue Harlem’s Apollo Theatre from financial mismanagement that threatened the landmark’s survival.”

The News’ editorial board began a campaign to rescue the theater, which is now owned by the state and run by a foundation. A series of editorials exposing financial mismanagement at the foundation prompted the Attorney General to file a civil suit to try to remove the board of directors, and led state officials to take a more active role in revitalizing the landmark theater.