Suzette Heiman Strategic Communication Faculty

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A Creed for My Profession: Walter Williams, Journalist to the World Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute Missouri Journalism Centennial Timeline State Historical Society of Missouri University Archives University of Missouri Savitar Walter Williams Western Historical Manuscript Collection

Timeline Recounts History of World's First School of Journalism

Columbia, Mo. (Nov. 28, 2008) -- More than one hundred years of Missouri Journalism history have come to life, thanks to a new Web-based feature that looks back at the evolution of the world's first school of journalism.

The Missouri Journalism Centennial Timeline, a key feature of the newly-launched 2008 Centennial-Dedication Web site, contains more than 150 images and facts spanning the years 1808–2008. Beginning with the state's first newspaper in 1808, the timeline's first section traces the events leading up to the School's founding on Sept. 14, 1908. Thereafter, a decade-by-decade approach immerses viewers in the students, faculty, facilities, curriculum and technology that have made the School the leader in journalism education.

The timeline was created in anticipation of the School's centennial, which will be celebrated Sept. 10-12, 2008, with the opening of the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute. The Reynolds Institute is the think tank and research operation for journalism of the 21st century.

Each decade of the timeline will be released in a monthly e-mail newsletter containing 2008 news and updates. To receive the e-mails, fill out the 2008 E-Mail Updates sign-up form. The first installment, "Before 1908," is an overview of the forces behind the creation of the School. From the state's first newspaper to the rise of founding dean Walter Williams, this segment documents Missouri's unlikely rise as the epicenter of journalism education.

Subsequent decades showcase rare images of Williams' travels throughout the world, the first international telephone call from Columbia, the dedication of the stone lions from China, the glamour of the 50th anniversary celebration, the construction projects of the 1960s and 1970s and much more. While no history can ever be complete, each segment aims to capture the spirit of each decade.

"Our history tells us that we have many reasons to celebrate," said Suzette Heiman, director of planning and communications at the School and director of the 2008 centennial-dedication event. "This approach allows us to highlight our rich legacy in education and research."

At the left of the timeline, a "film strip" helps users navigate among the dated events of each decade. Red arrows along the top also allow for scanning through the slides of each decade, while between-decade navigation is location on the right. Many of the images can be enlarged, and the text is documented by clicking on the "Citations/Sources" icon.

Various histories of the School provided timeline context, including A Creed for My Profession: Walter Williams, Journalist to the World, by Ronald T. Farrar, PhD '65; Journalism Education at the University of Missouri-Columbia, by Earl English; and Twenty Years of Education for Journalism, by Sara Lockwood Williams, BJ '13. Photos are courtesy of University Archives, Western Historical Manuscript Collection, State Historical Society of Missouri, University of Missouri Savitar and others.