Missouri School of Journalism to dedicate memorial garden honoring Heflin twins
Tribute celebrates legacy of Lance and Vance Heflin, BJ ’77 and BJ ’76
The Missouri School of Journalism will dedicate a Memorial Garden honoring alumni Lance and Vance Heflin on Friday, April 24, at 11 a.m. in the Missouri School of Journalism Courtyard on the University of Missouri campus. In case of rain, the dedication will be moved indoors to Smith Forum, room 200 in the Reynolds Journalism Institute.
The garden marks the first memorial of its kind located in the School of Journalism complex — a living tribute to two brothers whose shared passion for storytelling took them from the halls of Neff Hall to newsrooms, broadcast studios and remote locations around the world.
Steven “Lance” Heflin, BJ ’77, and Stewart “Vance” Heflin, BJ ’76, were identical twins born in 1952 in Independence, Missouri. They first honed their storytelling instincts at Truman High School before enrolling together at the Missouri School of Journalism in 1970, a partnership in craft and character that would define both of their careers.
Lance went on to a distinguished national career in broadcast journalism, beginning at KOMU-TV, the School’s NBC affiliate station. He later joined the investigative I-Team at WPLG in Miami, earning two national Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards and two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Awards. At CBS News, he produced for “CBS Evening News” and “CBS Sunday Morning” and was a founding producer of “48 Hours,” earning multiple National Emmy Awards during his tenure. He then spent 20 years as executive producer of “America’s Most Wanted” at Fox Network, where he helped lead to the capture of more than 1,000 fugitives and the recovery of more than 30 missing children. After his journalism career, Lance pursued winemaking in Virginia with his two sons. He passed away in 2020.
Vance built his career as a newspaper reporter, freelance photographer and videographer, with work appearing in the Rolla Daily News, the Columbia Daily Tribune, “America’s Most Wanted” and on international assignments for National Geographic and Black Star. An accomplished chef and creative spirit, he landed what he called his dream job as the photographer for the television series “The Great Chefs of Europe.” He later served as a media advisor in Missouri public service. Vance passed away in 2000.
“Lance and Vance Heflin embodied what the Missouri Method is all about — learning by doing, telling stories that matter and never losing sight of the human being at the center of every story,” said David Kurpius, dean of the Missouri School of Journalism. “This garden is a fitting place to remember them, and we hope it inspires every student who walks through our courtyard.”
The dedication comes as recognition for the brothers continues to grow, thanks in no small part to the generosity of Jan Evans, MA ’80, Lance’s wife, who established the Lance Heflin Multimedia Investigative Journalism Scholarship in 2024 to support students pursuing investigative journalism at Mizzou. Two memorial benches honoring the brothers were also installed near the entrance to Neff Hall at that time. The Memorial Garden represents the latest and most expansive of these tributes, taking root on a campus recently named one of America’s most beautiful campuses — and one that has been shaping journalists and storytellers since 1908.
The public is welcome to attend the dedication ceremony.
About the Mizzou Botanic Garden
The mission of the Mizzou Botanic Garden is to support the University of Missouri in the areas of education, research, extension and economic development. To this end, the Garden is to serve as a public resource providing educational opportunities through the collections, display, interpretation and conservation of plants suited to central Missouri in a manner which inspires, educates and delights visitors of all ages.
Updated: April 21, 2026