Taft Alumni Hall of Fame  TAA Logo


Gloria Jean Sykes, MA, 1969

Gloria Jean Sykes (1969)Gloria Jean earned her bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University.  She taught grade school and high school art for a year, but returned to school to complete a master’s degree in radio, television and film from Northwestern Univ.  Meanwhile, she was gaining experience working on animation specials.

Early projects included animation specials, but since 1975 she has worked in many capacities behind the camera, writing, directing and producing for television and film. She has specialized in investigative segments for TV news magazines and reality-based series, including research on singer Ricky Nelson’s death, the USS Iowa, and other high profile disasters.

Gloria Jean was feature producer of Emmy-nominated HBO TV movie “Cheaters,” based on the 1995 Academic Decathlon competition in Chicago, taught English classes as an adjunct professor at Wright College and has co-authored a book with fellow Hall of Famer, Richard Lindberg.