Distinguished Service Award

Hugh Roome is the President of Consumer and Professional Publishing at Scholastic, Inc. Dr. Roome was elected to the Tufts Board of Trustees in 2009, where he Chairs the Audit Committee. He and his wife, Katherine, J74 established the Roome Fund for scholarships at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in population studies and arms control and the Roome International Fund at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. He holds a B.A. and an M.A. from Tufts and a M.A.L.D. and a Ph.D. from The Fletcher School, 1980. 

At Scholastic, Roome publishes thirty magazines reaching 25 million readers, including the New York Times Upfront, which he created — the award-winning teen news magazine. Hugh is publisher of various book imprints, including: Nature’s Children, Cornerstones of Freedom and Enchantment of the World. As President of Scholastic International from 2001–2008, Hugh led 15 overseas companies with revenue of $500 million from Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

Hugh is past Chairman of the Board of Directors of American Business Media. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of the Foreign Policy Association and is a Trustee of the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers. He is past Chair of the Board of the Association of Educational Publishers / EdPress. Hugh is the author of two biographies for children: Franklin D. Roosevelt, American Hero (2017) and Martin Luther King Jr., American Hero (2017). In 2017 he won the Lamplighter Award in educational publishing and was inducted into the Publishers’ Hall of Fame. He was Adjunct Professor teaching “The Global Marketplace: Challenges and Opportunities” at New York University (2006-2014). Katherine Roome is Chair of the Agricultural Stewardship Association.

Photo of Hugh Roome

Hugh R. Roome III, PhD, A74, F77, AG74, F80, F80, A11P, F15P, A18P