Trevor Brown inducted into Hall of Fame

GREENCASTLE, Ind. -- Trevor Brown, dean of the IU School of Journalism, was inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame Saturday at a ceremony in the Walden Inn at the DePauw University campus.\nTom Davies, president of the Hall of Fame, said Brown and the other four inductees were admitted because they met the hall's requirements as "Hoosier journalists of the highest distinction." \nBrown said he was very flattered to be inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame, especially considering he is from South Africa.\n"I was tremendously honored to be chosen for this award, especially as a foreigner who has made his home in Indiana," he said. \nCraig Klugman, editor of The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, helped organize Brown's nomination and admittance. He said Brown deserved such honor for his work in promoting journalism education.\n"He means a lot to journalism, a lot to IU and a lot to students," he said. \nBrown came to IU as a faculty member in 1972. He has served as the dean of the School of Journalism for nearly 20 years, since 1985. In 1989, he helped to make the school independent from the College of Arts and Sciences. \nIU Journalism Professor Michael Evans said this award recognizes an entire life's work in journalism.\n"He has supported journalism in Indiana and beyond for his whole career," he said. "He is an excellent instructor and he continues to teach classes, but his main contribution has been as an administrator ... he has helped to educate literally thousands of students during his career."\nKlugman said he and others nominated Brown for induction this year to coincide with his June retirement from the School of Journalism. They had not foreseen that the search for a new dean would come up empty-handed and Brown would agree to stay on another year.\n"It seems," Klugman said, "that replacing Trevor has proved much harder than anyone thought."\nDavies said most nominees are scrutinized for several years before being inducted to the Hall of Fame. But Brown was accepted in his first year of nomination.\n"It's not rare for a candidate to be selected in his first year," he said. "But it's more the exception than the rule."\nHe said Brown was selected among more than a dozen Indiana journalists.\nAlso inducted were Steve Bell, a professor of telecommunications at Ball State University and former ABC News reporter; Henry Gill, a photojournalist who shot pictures of major events around the globe; Edward Spray, the president of Scripps Networks; and George P. Stewart, cofounder of The Indianapolis Recorder, one of the nation's premiere African-American news publications. These five men make up the 39th group inducted into the Hall of Fame, bringing the total membership to 197. \nThe Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame was established in 1966 by the Indiana Chapter of The Society of Professional Journalists. The Hall of Fame is housed in the East College of DePauw University in Greencastle, also the birthplace of the Society of Professional Journalists in 1909.\n-- Contact staff writer Michael Zennie at mzennie@indiana.edu.