Baughman, James L., 1952-2016

James L. Baughman (January 10, 1952 - March 26, 2016) was an American mass communication historian, and the Fetzer-Bascom Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

James L. Baughman was born in Warren, Ohio on January 10, 1952, the son of Lewis E. and Ann B. Baughman. Baughman grew up in Warren and attended the Warren City Schools. He was a lifelong and passionate fan of the Cleveland Indians.

Baughman received his BA in history from Harvard University in 1974. He attended graduate school at Columbia University, where he obtained his M.A., M.Phil and Ph.D. degrees, all in history. His doctoral adviser at Columbia was the renowned historian William E. Leuchtenburg.

James Baughman taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1979 until 2016. He served as Director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication from 2003 to 2009. An exceptionally popular professor with students, he won the Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award in 2003. He looked the part of a professor, always wearing a jacket and tie to class. He smoked a pipe and liked to tell funny stories or do impressions of historical figures over a glass of scotch. He believed deeply in the power of the written word. When students or friends experienced major life challenges or traumatic events, he always encouraged them to "write about it."

Baughman died of lung cancer on March 26, 2016.