University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s College of Journalism and Mass Communications Celebrates 120 Years of Teaching

Sunday, September 28, 2014 - 7:00pm

The College of Journalism and Mass Communications hosted a reception Friday, Sept. 26 to welcome its new dean, Dr. Maria Marron and to kick off a yearlong celebration of 120 years of teaching journalism at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

“The College of Journalism and Mass Communications at University of Nebraska–Lincoln long has been in the ranks of top journalism programs nationwide,” Marron said. “The college has a strong history of turning out top-notch professionals who serve the media and related industries, often in upper-level leadership positions. The faculty’s commitment to their students’ success is a hallmark of the college. Students literally can Start Here and Go Anywhere. 

In 1894, Will Owen Jones taught the first journalism class combining academic excellence with professional experience. Jones later became editor of the Nebraska State Journal, a predecessor of the Lincoln Journal Star.

A School of Journalism was formed in 1923 through the leadership of English professor Miller Moore Fogg. He became the first director and served until his death in 1926. In 1974 the Nebraska Legislature passed a bill authorizing a graduate program for journalism/mass communication. By 1976 the graduate courses were realities. By the 1990s, the journalism graduate program was available to professional journalists throughout the world via several satellite and Internet technologies.

In 1979, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents elevated the program from department status in the College of Arts and Sciences to an independent position. Neale Copple's title was changed to dean. A 1985 adjustment in Nebraska laws that govern the University of Nebraska changed the official name to the College of Journalism. The current name, the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, was adopted in the early 1990s.

Dr. Marron began her tenure on July 1 becoming the sixth dean of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Prior to coming to Nebraska, Marron was chair of the journalism department at Central Michigan University for 12 years. She serves as the editor of Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, one of the three journals published by Sage for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. She is a former president of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication.

She holds a B.A. and postgraduate diploma from University College Dublin, Ireland; an M.A. in journalism from The Ohio State University where she was a Rotary International fellow representing Ireland; and a Ph.D. in journalism and mass communications from Ohio University.

Dean Marron has worked as a journalist, editor and public relations professional in Ireland and the United States and has held faculty positions at The Ohio State University and Texas State University-San Marcos. She also served as a curriculum specialist and administrator for the start-up College of Media and Communication Sciences at Zayed University, United Arab Emirates.

Dr. Maria Marron
Dean Maria Marrron