Walter Williams

Walter Williams (July 2, 1864 – July 29, 1935) was an American journalist and educator. He founded the world's first journalism school at the University of Missouri, and later served as the university's president. An internationalist, he promoted the ideals of journalism globally and is often referred to as "The Father of Journalism Education".

Biography Williams was born in Boonville, Missouri in 1864. Both his parents died when he was just 14 years old, forcing Williams to quit school to help support his siblings.

In the late 1890s Walter Williams began lobbying the Missouri General Assembly and the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri to establish a school of journalism. Many newspaper editors and owners objected saying that reporters should follow the traditional apprentice route for training. However the General Assembly and the Curators eventually approved the addition of the College of Journalism in 1905 with Williams as dean. After some delay, the School of Journalism was finally established in 1908 with ninety-seven students served by three faculty members. He served as a member of the Pulitzer Prize Board for 1931–32. A member of the University of Missouri Board of Curators, Williams became president of the university in 1931. He took over the leadership when Mizzou, like many other American institutions of higher learning, was struggling with funding issues due to the Great Depression. So that his faculty might receive much needed raises, Williams cut his own salary. His health began to fail as his presidency wore on, and he died while still holding the position in July, 1935, of pneumonia after a diagnosis of prostate cancer. He was buried in Columbia Cemetery.

Honors Walter Williams never attended college, although honorary degrees were conferred upon him by Missouri Valley College in 1900; Kansas State University in 1909 and Washington University in St. Louis in 1926. Before his death, he was initiated as an honorary brother of the Acacia fraternity.

Legacy A new journalism building on the Columbia, Missouri campus was named for him in 1936. A World War II Liberty ship, SS Walter Williams (hull MC No. 2291), launched in 1943 was named in his honor.

Williams has a group of scholars named after him at the University of Missouri, who are journalism students directly admitted to the journalism program who have received a 33 or above on their ACT (or 1450 on the SAT) in high school.

The Walter Williams Club is the name of the alumni association of University of Missouri Journalism School graduates.