Indiana University, Bloomington. School of Journalism

The School of Journalism had its beginnings at Indiana University when the first journalism course was offered in 1891. A Department of Journalism was established in the College of Arts and Sciences in 1911, and in 1974 the department became the School of Journalism. The School of Journalism has had many well-known and successful graduates, including the famous World War II journalist Ernie Pyle.

The School of Journalism was established in 1911 as the Department of Journalism and was at that time part of the College of Arts and Sciences. In 1932, IU students could earn a bachelor’s degree in journalism for the first time. The name of the department was changed in 1974 to the School of Journalism, but remained as part of the College of Arts and Sciences. In 1982, it became a system-wide school, coordinating journalism courses across all eight campuses. It became an independent school within the IU system in 1986.

John E. Stempel was head of the Department of Journalism from 1938 until he retired in 1968. He was a classmate of famed World War II reporter Ernie Pyle at Indiana University. During Stempel’s chairmanship, the School of Journalism moved to Ernie Pyle Hall, where it remains today. In addition, it was during his leadership that the highly-respected High School Journalism Institute was established in the summer of 1946.

Journalism had its official beginnings at Indiana University when the first course was offered in 1891. Nearly two decades later, in 1911, Journalism was added to the curriculum of the College and Arts and Sciences. Beginning in 1916, Journalism offered a master's degree, but a bachelor's degree was not offered until 1932 because journalism was thought be a professional degree, not academic.

Josephe Piercy served as the first Director of journalism, a position he held from 1911-1938. He was succeeded by John Stempel, who held this position until 1968. In 1954 the former Stores and Services Building became the new publications-journalism building, and was dedicated as Ernie Pyle Hall, in honor of the famous journalist and alumnus of the University who died while reporting on WWII. Also during Stempel’s tenure, the High School Journalism Institute was created in 1946, directed by Gretchen Kemp. The Department of Journalism offered its first PhD in mass communications in 1966.

Richard Gray was put at the helm of Journalism in 1968. During his tenure, the Indiana Daily Student became an operation independent of the department, and Ernie Pyle Hall was remodeled in 1976 to provide for a modern, technological environment for research and teaching in journalism. The department became a school in 1974, with Gray as director. In 1982, Journalism became a system-wide school, responsible for the coordination of journalism education on all eight campuses of Indiana University. Gray became dean and presided over the founding of an undergraduate major at IUPUI in an independent School of Journalism. Before 1974, journalism courses had been taught at Indianapolis in the Department of English, mainly by professor Shirley Quate, who also advised the student-run campus newspaper, The Sagamore, which first appeared in 1971. The school took over administration of The Sagamore, appointing its first publisher in 1985. In 1984, Gray died, and Trevor Brown was appointed Dean.