A Pultizer Prize-winning journalist for the Deseret News will be the recipient of the College of Eastern Utah's Distinguished Alumni Award at the annual Founder's Day Banquet on Saturday, Feb. 29.
Robert D. Mullins, a 1946 CEU graduate, received many awards and honors for his comprehensive investigative reports during his 37-year journalistic career.Shortly after graduating from the University of Utah in 1951, Mullins began his career in journalism as a copy courier on the sports desk of the Deseret News. He soon became chief of the newspaper's Price Bureau, a post he held for eight years.
While managing the Price bureau in 1961, he covered the story of a murder-kidnapping at Dead Horse Point. In the days that followed the Fourth of July crime, Mullins logged more than 1,800 miles on his car investigating the story. At one point, he worked for 30 hours without sleep, and another 40 hours with only a short nap. His reports were page-one stories for seven days. His investigation also led him to information not yet uncovered by the FBI.
His coverage earned him the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for reporting under pressure of a deadline. It was the first Pulitzer awarded to the Deseret News in its 112-year history.
Mullins transferred to Salt Lake City and worked a variety of assignments. He was named head of the Pinpoint Investigative Team in 1974. He managed a team of reporters and continued to live up to his reputation as Utah's premiere investigative journalist. The team won several awards from the Utah Society of Professional Journalists and the Associated Press.
In 1979, he became the first non-lawyer to receive the Amicus Curiae (Friend of the Court) Award presented by the Utah Judicial Council. As a reporter, Mullins often challenged the judiciary's policies to close controversial court documents or proceedings. The Utah judges still commended him for his consistent and objective reporting of judicial proceedings.
Mullins retired from the Deseret News in 1987. He recently moved from Salt Lake City to California.
A native of Scofield, Carbon County, Mullins attended Carbon High School. During World War II, he served as an infantryman in the 42nd (Rainbow) Division, which freed prisoners from the infamous Dachau Concentration Camp. He also earned the Bronze Star for rescuing a badly wounded soldier from artillery fire.
Following the war, he began his college education at CEU. He earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Utah. The U.'s journalism department honored him as their outstanding alumnus in 1962.