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Earlham Notable Alumni

Liza Donnelly - Class of 1977

Cartoonist 

Donnelly at the Louvre Abu Dhabi in 2018

CC Wikimedia Commons 

We're glad you're back! We could use new Earlham T-shirts by Liza Donnelly

Lilly Library

The Earlhamperson by Liza Donnelly

Valentine, Rick, Chris Miller, Jon Miller, Susan Drew, Andy Klein, and Jamie McVicar, eds. "The Earlham Post." Richmond, October 7, 1975, Vol. 45, No.2.

What A Great Library! Did You Know They Have A Searchable Database For Nuts? by Liza Donnelly

Lilly Library

yeah, I smoke a low-tar brand...... they claim a milder care of terminal cancer by Liza Donnelly

Valentine, Rick, Chris Miller, Jon Miller, Susan Drew, Andy Klein, and Jamie McVicar, eds. "The Earlham Post." Richmond, October 7, 1975, Vol. 45, No.7.

Broadway and 72nd St. By Liza Donnelly

Earlham Permanent Art Collection

There were only three other women drawing cartoons for the magazine at that time [out of 45 men]. I became the fourth. - Liza Donnelly on her early days at The New Yorker.

Overview

  • Born on April 29, 1955, in Washington, D.C.
  • Majored in art at Earlham

  • Award-winning cartoonist for The New Yorker magazine

Biography

Early Life and Education 

Liza Donnelly is an American cartoonist known for her contributions to The New Yorker magazine as a writer and artist. 

  • As a small child, Donnelly always wanted to draw cartoons. She would trace others’ artwork to gain experience. Donnelly’s mother encouraged her to pursue a career as an artist. To this day, Donnelly credits her mother for instilling in her confidence for achieving her goal of becoming a cartoonist. 
  • For high school, Donnelly attended Sidwell Friends School, a private Quaker school located in Washington, D.C. In high school, Donnelly displayed her passion for drawing and humor. 
  • After completing high school, Donnelly pursued higher education at Earlham College. In 1977, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in art. Throughout her time at Earlham, she would often create cartoons for the Earlham newspaper, then called The Earlham Post. To this day, Earlham's archives hold copies of Donnelly’s cartoons.
  • After attending Earlham, Donnelly knew she needed to move to New York City to become a successful artist. When arriving in New York, Donnelly took classes in cartooning and captioning at the School of Visual Arts and Parsons School of Design. In her free time, Donnelly would make and sell cartoons with funny captions. She sold her first batch of cartoons for $79.

Career 

Selling her drawings gave her exposure to different media platforms. In 1982, Donnelly landed a position with The New Yorker as a cartoonist and writer. Her exposure through The New Yorker gave her other amazing opportunities. In 2016, Donnelly started doing live drawings for the Oscars, White House events, women’s marches, Grammys, and more. Donnelly also did a live drawing for the 2016 presidential inauguration. 

  • From 2016 through 2019, Donnelly was the “resident cartoonist” at CBS. Her cartoons appeared every morning and for special events.
  • Currently, Donnelly continues working for The New Yorker as a cartoonist and writer. She also works freelance, which lands her opportunities with organizations like CBS, Forbes, TEDx, and more.   

Achievements 

Liza Donnelly has received numerous awards throughout her career in cartooning. 

  • Recipient of the Earlham Library Senior Art Purchase Award in 1977
  • Honorary Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut
  • A Thurber Prize finalist for writing humor in the United States
  • Recipient of the AAUW Women of Distinction Award