1898

The Argonaut, the independent student newspaper, is published for the first time. Guy Wolfe was the first editor. Over the years, hundreds of students learn about reporting, writing, editing, and layout/design while working here.
 

1903

The Gem of the Mountains yearbook is published for the first time, by the junior class. Many journalism and mass media students work at the yearbook over the years.
 

1913-1914

A paragraph from Frances Hanley’s history paper on the Argonaut: “The paper was characterized all that year {1913-14} by its critical attitude toward numerous student organizations and affairs. At one time, an editorial stated that they had been knocking a good many things but they had decided to give it up since their criticism seemed to be of no use. They abided by this resolution for about two issues and started the criticism again.”
 

1918

The 1918-19 UI course catalog lists the first journalism courses offered at the university—News Editing and Elementary Journalism. They’re listed as part of English.
 

1919

In May, The Argonaut is published twice a week for the first time. The experiment lasts for about a month. The idea is tried again in 1923, and with the exception of the World War II years, the Argonaut has been a twice-weekly paper ever since.
 

1920

The 1920-21 UI catalog lists Salesmanship and Advertising courses, as part of Business. 
 

1923

On March 24^th, the first program ever to air on a UI radio station is heard—Bernadine Adair sings a few songs over what’s known as KFAN.
 

1924

The ASUI takes over publication of the Gem of the Mountains yearbook. 
 

1926

The 1926-27 UI catalog lists Journalism as a major for the first time, though still listed as part of English. Edward F. Mason designed the first full-fledged program of journalism courses. 
 

1931

Elmer F. Beth is in charge of the Journalism major and stays until 1940. Beth is in many ways the father of the UI's journalism program, emphasizing to his students the importance of good writing skills and a strong liberal arts education. His work will help lead to the creation of a new Department of Journalism in 1941. Beth is pictured here later in his career at the University of Kansas in 1957. 

 

1932

Students in the History of Journalism course begin writing histories of newspapers in Idaho and across the Northwest. Those histories, written from 1932-1960, are on reserve at the UI Library. 
 

1935

UI Class of 1920 alumnus and journalist Ernest K. Lindley becomes the first graduate of the UI to deliver the commencement address at graduation.




 

1941

The Department of Journalism is established. Courses include Law of the Press, Ethics of Journalism, and Reporting. Dr. William F. Swindler is department head.

The Journalism department hosts a writer’s workshop in June.

The Idaho State Editorial Association establishes its permanent office in the Journalism offices. The Argonaut reports that the arrangement is mutually beneficial—the association has access to campus research facilities, and the department can “keep its instruction attuned to current practical newspaper ideas.”
 

1944

The Department of Journalism publishes the first in a series of bulletins looking at the newspaper industry in Idaho. The bulletins look at topics such as advertising and publishing laws and are published over the next two years.
 

1945

The first broadcasting offered at the UI, Radio Journalism, is taught in the fall. Plans are underway at the UI to start new curricula in radio and advertising.

The Journalism department has a new home in the University Classroom Building.

The first annual Journalism Institute is held at the classroom building.

Nov. 15, KUOI, the independent student radio station, begins as an on-campus, carrier-current service. As such, its signal isn’t broadcast, and can only be heard in certain parts of campus. KUOI is for many years the only student operated radio station in the Northwest.

12 members of the News Editing course travel to Boise in March to put out an edition of The Daily Statesman.
 

1946

The Radio Building is built; it will be renamed the Radio Center in 1949. The Radio Center will be torn down and replaced about 1968, but the spot where this first radio building was built is the same spot where the Radio/TV Center remains today.

The first journalism workshop for high school students is held.
 

1948

Paul Scott is chairman of the Journalism department from 1946-1950. Pictured at left is Paul Scott in 1948 with the winners of the Statesman newspaper scholarships, Joyce Hanson of Moscow (on left) and Olevia Smith of Eagle, Idaho.

Also in 1948 the student chapter of Sigma Delta Chi, the journalism society for men, is established.

1949

The Department of Humanities at the UI includes six subject fields: Drama, English, Journalism, Languages, Radio, and Speech.
 

1950

The 1951-52 UI catalog lists Radio as a degree for the first time. Courses include Radio Acting and Radio Music. Television content is added to courses within a year.

Pictured at left are the four recipients of the 1951 Standard Oil of California scholarships. From left, senior Dean Holyoak, freshman Jay Buhler, sophomore Rex Eikum, and senior Lois Bush.

 

1951

Wayne Young is named head of the Journalism department. He will stay until 1954.
 

1953

The Radio/TV Guild, a student broadcasting society, is a student organization on campus. Robert Tracy is teaching Radio/TV. Tracy begins work on a proposal for a new campus radio station (born ten years later as KUID-FM).
 

1954

Granville Price takes over as head of the Journalism department, a position he holds until 1962. During his long career as a journalism instructor, Price also taught at the University of Texas at Austin and Northern Illinois University. He died in 1974.

A university TV committee proposes the building and equipping of a TV studio on campus for a closed-circuit television system.

 

1955

The university tells the Federal Communications Commission that an educational VHF television channel is needed in Moscow.

A television laboratory is established just west of the Radio Center. Radio/TV personnel are teaching classes and also producing informational films and audio programs for distribution around the state.

The Beta Nu chapter of Theta Sigma Phi is established at the UI on May 22nd. Theta Sigma Phi is the National Society for Women in Journalism and Communication.
 

1956

The Radio Center and TV lab are renamed the Radio-TV Center. The television lab includes two Auricon 16mm film cameras and equipment to produce kinescopes.
 

1957

A new Department of Communications is approved by the UI Board of Regents. It will become official in 1958 with the hiring of William Snyder as department head. Subject fields include Journalism, Radio/TV, Photo, and Audio/Visual. The services of the Audio Visual Center and the Radio/TV Center are administered by this department. Students major in either Journalism or Radio/TV.

1958

In March, the annual Journalism Conference is held on campus. It has become something of a tradition over the years, with students and journalism professionals visiting campus to attend workshops and listen to guest speakers.
 

1959

INationally syndicated newspaper columnist (and Idaho native) Inez Robb speaks at graduation and is awarded an honorary Doctor of Literature degree.

1960

300 students from across the state attend the 14th annual high school journalism workshop.

Journalist Ernest K. Lindley (UI graduate, 1920) receives an honorary degree and delivers the commencement address at graduation.
 

1961

KUID “Television,” a closed circuit TV system used for teaching, is installed.

The Department of Communications has offered summer high school workshops for several years in journalism, photography, and TV.
 

1962

Gordon Law becomes head of the Department of Communications. In May, a request from Law and the Department of Communications to establish an FM broadcast station on campus is approved. The department wrote “the primary purpose of the proposed station is to provide a professional live broadcasting laboratory for students majoring in the Radio-Television curriculum.”

UI alumnus Ernest K. Lindley establishes The Lindley Award in honor of his parents (his father, Ernest H. Lindley, was UI president from 1917-1920). The Lindley Award is the highest award in the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences.

A student chapter of Alpha Epsilon Rho, the national student broadcasting society, is established in December.

Upon the departure of long-time Journalism head Granville Price, local journalists write to the Board of Regents expressing concerns about the future of the Journalism program. They needn’t have worried; Bert Cross is hired to teach Journalism and stays 23 years, serving as department head for many of those years. Pictured at left is Bert Cross in 1963 with students Karin Smith and Jim Metcalf.

An Associated Press news wire machine is installed at The Argonaut, where students in Journalism courses also use it. The AP is a gift of Idaho Allied Dailies.
 

1963

KUID-FM becomes the first educational FM radio service in Idaho when it begins broadcasting at 91.7 FM on December 13th. The radio station is operated by the Department of Communications. A January, 1965 program guide says program offerings include “Peace thru Law,” “Peaceful Uses of Space,” “Gateway to Ideas,” and news. Gordon Law is the station manager and Leon Lind is the program director.

Peter Haggart is hired to teach Radio/TV; he will stay with the department until the late 90s. He went on to become the UI's faculty secretary, a half-time position. Peter retired spring 2003.

 

1964

A grant from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare enables work to get underway on educational television broadcast transmission facilities on Paradise Ridge south of Moscow.

The 18^th annual Journalism Conference is held in March. Once again, the conference attracts reporters and editors from all over the region.

Newsweek foreign affairs correspondent Robert S. Elegant delivers an address on campus in November.
 

1965

The 1965-67 UI catalog lists Advertising as a study option under Journalism. Courses include Mass Communication in a Free Society, Marketing, and Principles of Advertising.

KUID-TV begins broadcasting within an 80 mile radius of Moscow with music and test patterns throughout the summer. KUID-TV becomes the first public television station to go on the air in Idaho when daily programming begins September 6^th. Program offerings include “World of Music,” “Art and Man,” and “Steeltown Blues.” Pictured at left are Gordon Law, station manager, and Peter Haggart, program director. Law and the College of Letters and Science Dean, Boyd Martin, are instrumental in the establishment of KUID-TV.
 

1966

ABC News analyst Edward P. Morgan, who was born in Walla, Walla, Wash., but grew up in Idaho, delivers an address on campus in March talking about the importance of credibility in news coverage.
 

1967

Architects draw up plans for a new Communications Center to house the Journalism and Radio/TV departments. The Center would have replaced the Radio/TV Center, but the proposed facility is never built. Instead, plans move forward to renovate the Radio/TV Center.

Longtime journalist Ernest K. Lindley, now with the U.S. State Department, is named to the University of Idaho Hall of Fame.
 

1968

In a program guide, KUID-TV managers write the station "can claim the honor of being the first ETV station in the Inland Empire to originate color programming." KUID has a few shows in color on Sunday night.

1969

Journalism offices are still located in a wooden frame building on Line Street, where they've been since the 1930s.
 

By 1969, the student-operated radio station, KUOI-FM, has become a broadcast station. Legend has it that KUOI actually “broadcast” illegally a time or two before this, but the station is now officially, and legally, broadcasting 10 watts at 89.3 FM. KUOI becomes a 50 watt stereo FM in 1976.

A study committee is looking at different ways to bring together the academic disciplines and services in the field of communication. This will lead to the disbanding of The Department of Communications in 1971 and the establishment of The School of Communication two years later.
 

1970

The Beta Nu chapter of Theta Sigma Phi, the National Society for Women in Journalism and Communication, wins a national Award for Excellence.
 

1971

Radio-Television major Denver James is recipient of The Lindley Award, given to the outstanding senior in The College of Letters and Science.
 

1973 

The School of Communication is formed, bringing together the departments of Journalism, Radio/TV, and Speech, along with the subject fields of Communication, Photo, and the Division of Broadcast Services (KUID-FM/TV). Don Coombs is hired as the first director of the School of Communication, which has its main office in the University Classroom Center.

Full-time color programming arrives at KUID-TV, thanks to a large federal grant which allowed for the purchase of new equipment. Program offerings at this time include local news and documentaries, the “Vandal Action” sports program, and live coverage of The Borah Symposium. Peter Haggart is the station manager, and Joyce Campbell the program director.
 

1975

The former Agricultural Education Building on Line Street, also known as “The Alamo,” is renovated one floor at a time and the School of Communication moves in over a three-year period. The School will remain at this location until the building is torn down in 1998 to make room for the Idaho Commons.

The 1975 UI catalog now lists Public Relations as a study area for students.
 

1976

A UI graduate student in Architecture writes a plan for a proposed new School of Communication building on Line Street, but the plan never moves beyond the graduate thesis stage. At one time, it had also been proposed that the SOC be moved into the former Women’s Gym, but those plans never moved forward, either.

The George Fowler Chapter of The Public Relations Student Society of America is chartered at the UI on November 5th. George Fowler is a 1959 Journalism alumnus.
 

1978

Lewiston Morning Tribune columnist Ladd Hamilton describes KUID-TV as a television station with “imagination and guts.” Throughout this decade, KUID-TV has won more than 50 state, regional, and national public affairs reporting awards for its locally-produced documentaries, sports programs, and ad campaigns. Noteworthy documentaries include “Sweet Land of Liberty: the Moscow Pullman Gay Community,” and a look at logging practices called “Cedar Thief!” The award-winning staff includes Michael Kirk, Alan Bell, Rebecca Newton, Ken Segota, Bill McMillin, and Tom Coggins. Art Hook is the station manager (1976-1982).

Photography/Film is a study area listed in the UI catalog for the first time. Other areas of study for students at this time are Speech and Interpersonal Communication.
 

1979

The School of Communication has put out several publications in this decade. They include: “Idaho Communication Review,” a summary of media activities in the state; “The Summer Sun,” which came out during the summer months before there was a summer Argonaut; and “Campus News,” a newspaper written by students in a reporting class and partially funded by the Campus News Bureau.

Rafe Gibbs, professor emeritus of journalism, is named to the UI Alumni Hall of Fame. Gibbs graduated with a degree in journalism from the UI in 1934 and went on to a long and successful career as a reporter, editor, and author. He was director of information and publications for the UI and was made full professor of journalism in 1953. He wrote a history of the university called "Beacon for Mountain and Plain." Gibbs died in 1998.
 

1980

KUID-FM has become known over the years as “Radio Free Moscow…the rare medium that’s well done.” Some of the programs broadcast this year include oral histories of Latah County, based on historical work begun by the Latah County Historical Society in 1973.


 

1981

During a state budget crisis, the Idaho Legislature zero-funds public broadcasting in the state. Some say the funding cuts are partly the result of the content of some of KUID TV’s documentaries, including “Cedar Thief!” Portions of the funding is eventually restored, but KUID-TV loses most Moscow-based personnel. Producers, engineers, and students do make extensive use of a remote truck over the next few years, travelling all over north Idaho to produce sports programs. Discussions begin on whether the state should centralize public television programming in Boise.

The 1981 course catalog finds the Radio/TV degree changing to Telecommunication.
 

1982

The Advertising Competition team is established. Mark Secrist and Tom Jenness serve as advisors. The student team will win many national and regional awards over the years in American Advertising Federation competitions.

The university loses control of KUID-TV when Idaho Public Television is created to operate public television in the state. Some locally produced public affairs programming remains on KUID-TV until about 1985, but the golden age of KUID-TV documentaries and local programming is over. KUID-TV will still produce Vandal game broadcasts every so often over the next several years, using student production crews. The last such production was in 1997.
 

1983

Ted Voigtlander, the three-time Emmy-award winning cinematographer, is inducted into the UI Alumni Hall of Fame. Voightlander was a UI student from 1931-34 and worked on TV shows such as “Little House on the Prairie” and “Highway to Heaven” and films such as “King Solomon’s Mines.”

1984

KUID-FM becomes KRFA-FM, part of Northwest Public Radio, a National Public Radio affiliated regional radio service at Washington State University. Programming control of 91.7 FM is transferred to WSU because of an Idaho funding crisis. The last words uttered over KUID-FM on the station’s final broadcast day, June 30^th, were “We wish you a pleasant life.”

1985

Bert Cross, a true professor of Journalism, retires. October 2003 he receives the Idaho Treasure Award and a reception is held for him at the Radio/TV Center.

"Friends of PRSSA" presents the Bateman-PRSSA Case Studies District Award to the UI's chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America.
 

1986

Don Coombs steps down as director of the School of Communication; Gary Hunt is hired to succeed him and stays a year. Peter Haggart is hired as director in 1987 and stays in that position until 1995.

The UI's student chapter of the PRSSA is named Outstanding Chapter in the Northwest District.

Television students are producing “Mostly Moscow” for the university’s cable TV channel as part of class assignments. In years ahead, student TV shows will have names like “UI Voices” and “UI News.”
 

1991

The Visual Communication degree is born, incorporating courses formerly offered under Telecommunication and Photography/Film.
 

1993

 The Ad Team is named College Chapter of the Year.
 

1995

  Roy Atwood becomes director of the School of Communication.

The School of Communication offers degrees in Public Communication (advertising, public relations, and communication), Visual Communication (photo, film, video production), and Journalism/Mass Communication.

The Ad Team finishes first at the District XI Neon student advertising competition, and finishes second at the World Series of Advertising national competition.

At the independent student radio station, KUOI-FM, engineers Jeff Kimberling and Mitch Parks climb the station’s broadcast tower in a snowstorm to complete the work needed to punch the station’s power up to 400 vertically polarized watts.

The first issue of CommNews is published August 28.
 

1996

The Ad Team wins the District XI American Red Cross student advertising competition.

The Communication Students Association is formed.

The School of Communication Professional Advisory Board is formed.
 

1997

The Pacific Northwest Newspapers Association awards the School $9,000 for the Journalism program.

Comm students form the UI’s first film club; they hold a film festival in 1998.

The Ad Team places third at the District XI Pizza Hut student advertising competition.
 

1998

July 14, the Communication building is demolished.

The Argonaut celebrates its 100^th anniversary. Many former Arg editors and staffers attend the centennial celebration in October.

The School of Communication moves to Shoup Hall (right) on 6^th Street as construction gets started on the Idaho Commons.
 

1999

A 101^st birthday party is thrown for The Argonaut. Why not?

The Ad Team wins the Region XI district competition for the third time in five years and finishes 7^th overall in the country in the AAF competition.

A team of seven Public Communication students receives a Merit Award from the Spokane Public Relations Council for a public relations campaign called “Stop the Silence is Stop the Violence.” The campaign was designed to help the group Alternatives to Violence on the Palouse.
 

2000

Chris Campbell is hired as director of the School of Communication.

Comm alum meet in Boise for a reunion. Nearly 70 graduates attend.

Michael Kirk, the 1971 Journalism (Radio/TV news option) graduate and former KUID-TV reporter turned award-winning documentary filmmaker for the PBS television program FRONTLINE, is inducted into the University of Idaho Alumni Hall of Fame.
 

2001

Journalism major Jennifer Warnick is given The Lindley Award at graduation. It is the highest award given by the College of Letters and Science. The Lindley Award is awarded for leadership, scholarship and character.

The Ad Team places second at the District XI Daimler/Chrysler student advertising competition.

After an absence of many years, a summer workshop returns. 16 high school students take part in the first multicultural high school journalism summer workshop.
 

2002

The PNNA awards the School another $9,000 grant to help improve facilities and program offerings for Journalism students.

The School’s new (2001) digital video festival is moved from the Borah Theatre at the Student Union Building to the Kenworthy Theatre in downtown Moscow. The theatre is standing room only for two nights as student video projects are played on the big screen.
 

2003

Back to the future. The School of Communication is disbanded, and the School of Journalism and Mass Media is born, offering degrees in Journalism, Advertising, Public Relations, and Radio/TV/Digital Media Production. Chris Campbell took a director position at Hampton University in Virginia, and Kenton Bird became interim director.


JAMM creates a public broadcasting archive at the university library through the donation of department records pertaining to KUID-FM and KUID-TV.

The Argonaut is 105 years young. Over the years, student reporters, writers, editors, and graphic designers have won hundreds of student journalism awards. Pictured at right in 1962 are Argonaut editor Sharon Lance and sports editor Herb Hollinger.

Longtime journalism professor Bert Cross is honored by the UI with an Idaho Treasure Award.

 

The Argonaut wins 24 awards in the Idaho Press Club's annual student journalism competition. Reporters at KUOI-FM win four more from the IPC.

1971 Journalism graduate and documentary filmmaker Michael Kirk is honored with the first annual Bert Cross First Amendment Award presented by the School of Journalism and Mass Media.

A year-long project upgrading broadcasting and production facilities at the Radio-TV Center is completed.

The School of Journalism and Mass Media publishes JAMM Session, an alum newsletter. Alums received copies in the mail You can view it as a .pdf version from our Web site.

Video projects produced by JAMM students air on Idaho Public Television broadcasts of "Zoom."

Longtime faculty member Pete Haggart receives an Idaho Treasure Award.
 

Kenton Bird makes the transition of "interim director" to "director" by a vote of the JAMM faculty.

1951 journalism graduate Allen Derr is elected into the University of Idaho Alumni Hall of Fame in May.

JAMM teams up with Northwest Public Radio to upgrade the NWPR Moscow News Bureau

JAMM faculty and staff move their offices to the third floor of the Administration Building over the summer. With its new location in the west wing of the Admin third floor, the department is just a stone's throw from the Radio-TV Center.

The 40th anniversary of KUID was celebrated in style with a gathering at the Radio-TV Center, which included speaches, presentations and a cake cutting. For details, go to the KUID reunion Web site.
 

JAMM held its first Outstanding Senior Awards reception in April. The awards program, established in 2005, recognizes exceptional students in each of these five areas: Advertising, Print Journalism, Public Relations, Radio-Television and Broadcast. Journalism Students receive a certificate and their names are engraved on a plaque which is located in the hallway across from the JAMM main office.
 

Pictured right:Emily Davis, Charlie Skinner, Heather Coddington, Darren Gerger, Nate Poppino, Nick Steinmates and Stephanie Jewell