Meet John Norberg!

John Norberg is an Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame writer, author, humorist, and chronicler of the human condition living in Lafayette, Indiana. He is the husband of Jeanne and the father of three adult children. He spoils five grandchildren, two granddogs, and one great granddog.

He is retired from Purdue University, where he was the speechwriter for the university presidents and Director of Communications for Development. He is also retired from the Lafayette (IN) Journal and Courier.

He began a newspaper humor column in 1971, which ran for 44 years. He wrote more than 2,000 humor and human-interest columns for the Journal and Courier.

During his time at J&C, he was also known for award-winning news and feature stories, mostly about residents in north-central Indiana area. He has received more than 50 state and national reporting awards.

A nationally respected award-winning speechwriter and in-demand public speaker, Norberg also is a Purdue historian and often is seen at Purdue events portraying the university’s founder, John Purdue. He is the author of nine books about the university  and its people, including Ever True: 150 Years of Giant Leaps at Purdue University.

Two of his books capture the stories of Purdue’s links to aviation and space. They include Wings of Our Dreams: Purdue in Flight, now in its third edition, and

Spacewalker: My Journey in Space and Faith as NASA’s Record-Setting Frequent Flyer. Spacewalker details astronaut Jerry Ross’ journey from a loving family in rural Indiana to Purdue to the role he played in establishing the International Space Station.

Norberg’s most recent book is A Spirit of Service: Purdue University and the United States Military.

In recognition for his contributions, he was named the 2025 recipient of Purdue’s Distinguished Boilermaker Award by the university’s president, Mung Chaing. The honor recognizes individuals who embody the spirit of the Boilermaker — industriousness and innovation, dedication and diligence, gratitude and grit, and service above self.

In 2012, the university honored him with its Special Boilermaker Award given to Purdue faculty or staff and earlier he was made an honorary alumnus.

Norberg has written articles for various national publications, including the Saturday Evening Post, USA Today, the Christian Science Monitor, and Time magazine. He has been interviewed on the CBS News Sunday Morning Show, NPR’s Big Picture Science, and many newspapers, radio, and TV news shows.

Born April 12, 1948, in Oak Park, Illinois, Norberg grew up on the north and northwest sides of Chicago in Skokie and Mount Prospect. He graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind., in 1970 and settled in the state. He started his newspaper career at the Brazil Daily Times where he became editor before signing on at the Journal and Courier in 1972. He left the newspaper business in 2000 to become a Purdue speechwriter but continued to write his weekly humor column for J&C. Some of his columns are posted on this website.

Besides his family and writing, Norberg is fond of old movies, sports (Cubs, White Sox, Bears, Bulls, Black Hawks, and Purdue Boilermakers), singing in the car, travel, and ice cream, not necessarily order.

© 2025 John Norberg