The Sky Dunlap Award is the Orange County Press Club's highest honor. The award is given out at the annual awards gala and honors someone for lifetime achievement and community service.

"The award recognizes not only a person's achievements in journalism, but also that person's community involvement," said Patrice Marsters in May 2018 as then OC Press Club President in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

John "Sky" Dunlap

The award is named for John William "Sky" Dunlap, 1912-68, who owned and published the Globe, an independent newspaper.

The Fullerton Oral History Project includes a history on Dunlap HERE. The oral timeline reviews his experience as a journalist in Orange County and across the nation.

Sky Dunlap Winners

2023: Fred Swegles, Orange County Register reporter and San Clemente Times columnist

2022: Cathy Werblin, Orange Coast College journalism instructor

2019: Patrice Marsters, OC Weekly managing editor

2018: Rick Reiff, Orange County Business Journal editor at large, and Charles "Bud" Little, Santa Ana College professor

2017: Tom Johnson, StuNewsNewport publisher

2016: Dennis Foley, Orange County Register editor and Chapman University professor

2015: Gustavo Arellano, OC Weekly editor-in-chief and columnist

2014: Frank Mickadeit, Orange County Register columnist

2013: Vikki Vargas, NBC4 Orange County bureau chief

2012: Pete Weitzner, Chapman University associate professor and director of broadcast journalism

2011: Steve Churm, Churm Media (OC Metro, OC Family, etc.) owner

2010: Ken Brusic, Orange County Register editor

2009: Rick Pullen, Cal State Fullerton Communications dean

2008: Jeff Rowe, Orange County Register reporter

2007: John McDonald, Orange County Register reporter

1999: Yen Ngoc Do, Viet Daily News publisher

1989: Jeanne Keevil, Irvine World News editor