Legend of Letters

This man has seen undefeated basketball teams. He has seen three different wars. He was seen journalism at IU change from a department within the College of Arts and Sciences to a reputable school. But today, IU School of Journalism Dean Trevor Brown will see the inside of the J-school as a dean for the last time. Brown retires today after more than 20 years of service to IU in that position.\nWith a resume boasting a bachelors and masters from Oxford and masters and doctorate degrees from Stanford, Brown was a hard man to replace. Brown was a Rhodes Scholar while he was receiving his first degree from Oxford. In fact, it took the search committee a second go-around to find a replacement in an associate dean from Elon University, Brad Hamm. \nBrown spent his boyhood in South Africa in a time of \nturmoil. \n"The years after 1948, after the national party came to power -- and not too long after that I began to work as a journalist -- there were considerable restrictions on what you could and could not say without running afoul of a great array of laws that restricted particularly what was thought to be pro-communist thought or advocacy," Brown said.\nAfter receiving his degrees and working as a reporter for the South African newspaper, the Cape Times, he arrived at IU in January 1972 to join the faculty of the then Department of Journalism. For several years he was a professor and lecturer until he became associate dean of the J-school in 1982. Just two years later, Dean Richard Gray died suddenly, thrusting Brown into the top spot overnight, a position he has held ever since. \n"I inherited a vision for journalism education from my predecessor Richard Gray," he said with a fond remembrance. "I thought he was an extraordinarily farsighted educator, wonderful teacher and administrator. I'm proudest of, I believe, sustaining Dick Gray's vision for journalism education and for this school."\nDuring his tenure as dean, several improvements to the School of Journalism have been made, from increasing the enrollment to increasing the number and types of degrees offered. Probably the most important change he oversaw was the transition of journalism from a department within COAS to a separate, highly respected school, he said. \nIU-Bloomington Chancellor Ken Gros Louis has been friends with Brown since his arrival at IU. The two friends share tennis matches, games of trivial pursuit and the same sense of humor. \n"He is a great prankster," Gros Louis said with a smile. "Whenever somebody would retire Trevor and I would write letters from famous people, governors or senators, getting all the information wrong of course. Trevor is very good at that. And even now he sends me long humorous e-mails about something that is going on at the University."\nBrown recalled one of his favorite pranks involving Gros Louis's speeches, a sign and beer. Brown said Gros Louis takes pride in the many speeches he delivers as chancellor of IU-Bloomington and they tend to repeat "Ken's spiel about this, that or the other." Brown said he made a book titled "The Collected Speeches of Ken Gros Louis," which totaled two. \n"We had gone to Spain together and I think he was traveling first class and the rest of us were mere serfs and we were in coach, so he had gotten of the plane earlier than us," Brown said. "So he had a sign standing there as we came out with our names on it as if he was meeting us and somebody got a picture of this, Ken standing with a sign. In the entrance to the collected speeches (book) I put this picture and I had taken our names off the sign so it was blank space. After I was done with it, it was Ken holding up a sign saying, 'Will speak for beer.'"\nIncoming Dean of the Journalism School Brad Hamm said Brown has shared insight into the position with him on the several occasions they've met.\n"I think under Trevor the program was nationally known for scholarship and its work for under- and grad students," he said. "When you accept leadership of a program you accept a commitment to its history." \nIDS Publisher and faculty member Dave Adams said Brown has a terrific sense of humor and all a person has to do is talk to him to understand that he is a gifted and compassionate person. \n"He probably did not ever anticipate that his life as a sports writer in South Africa would lead him to the deanship of one of America's most respected academic journalism programs," he said. "Trevor Brown, as a native of South Africa, seemed to naturally have a greater appreciation and understanding of the scope and depth of the First Amendment than nearly all Americans I've come in contact with."\nIn his capacity as dean, Brown has still been able to teach, which he said is one of the things he is going to miss most.\nBrown said journalism as a field is gaining increasing importance.\n"I would say that the roll of journalism in the democracy is even more important now than it has been in the past," he said. "We're not just an American Democracy, we are a contemporary power of huge influence and for all these reasons journalism in my judgment is an extraordinarily important profession worthy of all the commitments of all its young people. I would want to say to every student, I'm delighted that you have decided to pursue a major within the school of journalism, that this is a calling you feel to serve this country through the means of journalism. While it may at this moment seem less attractive or less appealing because of all the challenges society faces, don't give up on this field because it needs you perhaps more than it ever has. Each of you has wonderful talents to bring to this calling. It will be well worth it"