In photos: Memorial garden honoring Heflin twins dedicated at Missouri School of Journalism
Creeping phlox blooms in the foreground of the newly dedicated Heflin Memorial Garden, where two benches face each other — one honoring Lance, one honoring Vance.
The Missouri School of Journalism now has its first memorial garden — a tribute to twin alumni Steven “Lance” Heflin, BJ ’77, and Stewart “Vance” Heflin, BJ ’76, dedicated April 24 in the J-School courtyard.
Lance and Vance grew up in Independence, Missouri, enrolled at Mizzou together in 1970, and went on to careers that took them across the country and around the world. Lance spent decades in broadcast journalism, earning Emmy and duPont-Columbia awards and spending 20 years as executive producer of “America’s Most Wanted.” Vance made his mark as a newspaper reporter, freelance photographer and videographer, with work appearing in National Geographic and on international assignments. Both passed away — Vance in 2000, Lance in 2020.
J-School photographer Nate Brown was there to capture the day.
Josh Pemberton of Mizzou Landscape Services affixes the memorial plaque to Vance Heflin’s bench, which carries one of his signature sayings: “It’s always better to ask for forgiveness than permission.”
Jan Evans shares a laugh with her sons Patrick and Walker Heflin as Walker spreads mulch near their father Lance Heflin’s memorial bench with the ceremonial shovel. The shovel has broken ground on every Missouri School of Journalism building on Mizzou’s campus, beginning with Neff Hall in 1919.
An arch of black and gold balloons frames Joe Kovalyan, Director of Landscape Services at Mizzou, as he addresses the crowd at the Heflin Memorial Garden dedication ceremony.
Patrick Heflin, left, and Walker Heflin, right, remove a Mizzou flag to unveil the memorial bench and plaque honoring their father, Lance Heflin, during the dedication of the Heflin Memorial Garden at the J-School.
Vance Heflin’s stepson Ben does the ceremonial spreading of mulch near Vance’s memorial bench in the Heflin Memorial Garden as his stepsister Sofia, Vance’s daughter, looks on.
Lance Heflin’s memorial bench and the garden’s memorial marker sit in the newly dedicated Heflin Memorial Garden, with Jesse Hall and the iconic Mizzou columns visible in the background. The garden marks the first memorial of its kind in the J-School courtyard.
The memorial marker in the Heflin Memorial Garden bears the names of Steven “Lance” Heflin, BJ ’77, and Stewart “Vance” Heflin, BJ ’76. The identical twins first honed their storytelling instincts at Truman High School before enrolling together at the Missouri School of Journalism in 1970.
![Patrick [L] and Walker [R] Heflin drape a Mizzou flag over the back of their father Lance Heflin's memorial bench in the Heflin Memorial Garden.](https://journalism.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/heflin26042909.jpg)
