Inducted 2026
Encyclopedic mind for state policy.
High school teacher Colleen Lipaj told John W. Lindstrom he had a talent for writing, and he went on to work for small newspapers, covering the wiles and wilds of Michigan life and politics. He watched politicos make their way to state government. He learned about rural budgeting and how Lansing’s decisions affect local roads, schools and economic stability.
John soon landed at Gongwer News Service in Lansing. There, he became highly regarded as a dogged reporter, innovative editor, courageous publisher and expert on Michigan’s 1963 Constitution. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission. He has worked as an East Lansing elections inspector.
Over the years, John has spoken to MSU classes and student journalists. He has served as president of the local Society of Professional Journalists. He has spoken to varied organizations, radio audiences and the viewers of Tim Skubick’s “Off the Record.” As a student of history and the law with a strong desire for professional and public service, he helped the late Dr. Stan Soffin, then director of the Michigan State University School of Journalism, write the first bylaws for the revived Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame. Since his Gongwer retirement, John’s opinions have been published in the pages of the Detroit Free Press, a fond career goal.
In civic life, John has filled positions on the Michigan Campaign Finance Network and the East Lansing. Ask John about Mrs. Lipaj and he’ll tell you he’s grateful she advised him to follow a path to a career he still loves: hearing stories, writing stories and sharing stories with others. As he puts it: “Everything is a story and everyone has a story.”