A Short History of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication: Leadership across more than 100 Years
Most information provided from Seventy-Five Years of Journalism and Communication Leadership: The History of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication. This book was published in 1993 by ASJMC.
Background:
As journalism schools and departments started at universities in the early 1900s, Willard Bleyer of the University of Wisconsin Madison thought the time had come to create an organization to support and encourage journalism faculty. His colleague, Dean Walter Williams of the University of Missouri, was a key supporter of the idea. Williams was among the first organizers and presenters at the 1912 first official meeting of the American Association of Teachers of Journalism (AATJ). At that meeting, Williams reported that he had identified 32 colleges and universities offering some form of journalism instruction.
Williams was pleased with the initial success of the AATJ and was an active participant of the new association. However, he soon realized that his own sternly held notions of what a journalism school should be were not universally shared by his colleagues around the country (p. 59).
The Beginning:
In 1916, Williams felt the time had come to distinguish what he regarded as the more professional programs from the rest. He contacted administrators from within the AATJ and invited them to join with him to create a separate organization of journalism schools (p. 60).
“It began at 2:30 p.m. on April 5, 1917, at the LaSalle Hotel in Chicago, just prior to the AATJ meeting. By that time journalism administrators at 10 institutions volunteered that they were in agreement as to what an effective journalism program should be, and they became charter members of the American Association of Schools and Departments of Journalism (AASDJ). Williams was elected president. The members then moved with some dispatch through an agenda that saw them:
- levy annual dues of $20 per school;
- allow member schools to accept 24 semester units in journalism courses, with editorial writing and history and principles of journalism (two units each) as requirements in addition to news writing and reporting (six units) and copy editing (3 units);
- and adopt a modest straightforward constitution declaring that to be eligible for admission to AASDJ a school or department journalism program must be housed at a four-year institution, have at least two full-time journalism teachers and offer practical laboratory work.” (p. 60-61)
Due to the disruption of World War I shortly after AASDJ’s founding, the association’s activity did not really resume until its next meeting in 1920. Williams remained president during that time.
The new association of schools of journalism focused on providing a quality education to students and on the need for reporters to have a college education. AASDJ provided a template of what courses should be taught in a school of journalism. This was an early predecessor to the accreditation process. AASDJ also made strong connections with professionals. As schools asked to join the association, the executive committee looked at the courses the school offered, and made a decision on membership. The number of members grew steadily. The association worked with AATJ to promote faculty to conduct research in the discipline. AATJ started Journalism Quarterly in 1924 and AASDJ committed to providing $40 in support of each issue. [This amount of money is equivalent to $558 in 2017.]
AASDJ played a key role in developing a set of standards for journalism schools. In 1924 the group developed a “Principles and Standards” document for journalism schools, which was also approved by AATJ. In the early 1930s AASDJ and AATJ created a Council on Education for Journalism. The Newspaper Publishers Association was given a voting seat on the Council. Years later, this Council lead to the creation of a free-standing Accreditation Council. AASDJ continued to meet in conjunction with AATJ.
A Second Administrative Association:
By 1944, schools that were not part of AASDJ, were ready for an association that would unite them with other schools across the country. Its purpose would be to provide a place to learn from one another, and share information and issues. The new association was called the American Society of Journalism School Administrators (ASJSA). It started with 14 members. The first president was Perley Isaac Reed of West Virginia University. ASJSA created a system of surveys on current administrative issues and created an award to recognize a publication that provided distinctive service to journalism. The first award was presented in 1946 to Editor & Publisher. ASJSA created a publication for its members in 1945. Called “ASJSA Bulletin,” it was renamed in 1958 to Journalism Educator. Educator was incorporated into the AEJ family of publications in 1970.
As the years passed leaders of the two associations grew closer and most of the AASDJ schools were now also members ASJSA. By 1981, discussion of merging the two associations was gaining traction. In 1982 AASDJ voted to change its name to Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication (ASJMC). By 1984, the members of ASJSA had approved a merger with ASJMC, and ASJMC members approved the merger as well. ASJSA was officially dissolved and its assets turned over to ASJMC. Ironically, the last president of ASJSA was Emery “Pete” Sasser of West Virginia University.
Two Associations Become One:
The associations started as a merged association in late 1984. It started off with a strong first project in 1985: finding the first “Journalist-in-Space.” The association received a phone call from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). They asked if the association was interested in working with them to find a journalist to ride on the Space Shuttle and report from space. As part of NASA’s “Citizens in Space” program, a journalist was to be the second civilian in space. The first was a teacher, who had already been selected. The answer was a strong “Yes.”
The association officers developed a process and got the program underway. Additional staff had been hired to oversee the project. An application was created and the call was issued. Association members hosted regional selection committees, and then regional interviews to narrow the list of candidates.
It was January 28, 1986, and the program was moving ahead. It was the day the Teacher-in-Space was onboard the shuttle. The steering committee for the program was flying to Houston the next day to watch the Teacher-in-Space teach to children around the world. It was a process that the selected Journalist-in-Space would also use to report from space. One ASJMC staffer was already in Houston watching the launch in the control center.
And then the Challenger broke apart a few seconds into lift-off, killing all seven on board. Phones started ringing in the ASJMC Central Office, while in Houston there was complete silence and then a frenzy of activity. It was a heartrending day. As NASA put the project on hold, ASJMC officers contacted all the finalists about their continued interest in the project. Everyone confirmed their continued interest – and strong support for the program. But it was not to be. NASA decided that it would not move forward with this project anytime in the foreseeable future.
While the association was not able to complete the project, it did provide ASJMC with recognition on a national stage, and provided a $50,000 pocket of funds for the association’s reserves.
ASJMC continued to provide resources for schools and administrators. A salary survey was created and Winter workshops were developed. The workshops focused on current issues facing the schools. Professionals were also invited. The workshops provided a networking opportunity for members, and some made calls to possible donors. As administrators moved into the year 2000, fund-raising was taking more and more of their time.
In 2006, the association adopted a new Mission Statement.
“The Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication is an organization of leaders — deans, directors and chairs of journalism and mass communication programs in college and universities. The organization seeks to extend collectively on a national and even an international level the individual leadership its members practice on their campuses. This organization will work to ensure that its constituents innovate, manage and lead in a media marketplace undergoing fundamental change. It will work to ensure that j/mc programs broaden, deepen and invigorate the professions they serve, working with them to innovate and lead.”
The mission statement remains just as relevant today as it was 11 years ago. As ASJMC enters its next 100 years, it will continue to provide a place where administrators can gather and learn from one another. It will be a resource for information, a place to network, a safe place to ask questions, and a place to develop future leaders.
This history was written and compiled by
former ASJMC Executive Director, Jennifer H. McGill, in July 2017