Ralph Lowenstein

Ralph L. Lowenstein (March 8, 1930 – August 10, 2020) was an American professor of journalism. He served as dean of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications.

Biography Lowenstein was born in Danville, Virginia, on March 8, 1930, and was raised in a Zionist household. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Columbia University before earning his PhD from the University of Missouri. While an undergraduate student at Columbia, he used his summer break to join the volunteer organization Mahal and fought alongside Israeli forces during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. To join the Israeli army, he lived in a Displaced Persons camp in Marseilles under an assumed name, then saw combat with the 79th Armored Battalion. He was one of the youngest American volunteers that time and later served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

After obtaining his advanced degrees, Lowenstein reported for United Press International, El Paso Times, and CBS Morning News.

From 1976 to 1994, Lowenstein served as the dean of University of Florida's College of Journalism and Communications. He was a pioneer in digital media and created one of the first journalism-related websites in the world as well as Gainesville cable press, the first 24-hour rotatext cable newspaper.

Lowenstein died at age 90 on August 10, 2020, following a stroke.