University of Georgia Grady College
http://www.grady.uga.edu/
History
Henry W. Grady, the "Voice of the New South," was born in Athens, Georgia on May 24, 1850 and died in Atlanta, Georgia on December 23, 1889.
Shortly after his move to Atlanta, Mr. Grady formed a partnership with Col. Robert Alliston in the founding of the Atlanta Herald newspaper. After the Atlanta Herald folded, Henry Grady accepted a position on the editorial staff of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
It was the combination of Henry W. Grady's alumni status, his editorial position and his Athens birth, which motivated the renaming of the Journalism school at the University of Georgia.
The Grady College's First Dean
Dean John E. Drewry has influenced the education of thousands of journalism students from the University of Georgia. This may not seem very surprising, but one must consider that this influence continues even after his death.
Born June 4, 1902 in Griffin, Ga., Drewry attended the University of Georgia and was the second graduate of the journalism program in 1922.
After completing his masters at UGA and proceeding to Columbia for further postgraduate work, he succeeded founder S.V. Sanford as director of the school in 1932, and accepted the position of dean when it was created in 1940. That same year he helped create the Peabody Awards recognizing excellence in broadcasting. Dean Drewry played a large role in developing the reputation of the journalism school as one of the finest in the world, and his character and the respect he commanded from his peers still supports that reputation.
A fascinatingly intelligent and well-read man, the Dean motivated his students with wit, insight, and eloquence. His quarters ended with standing ovations from the students who were fortunate enough to learn from the scholar, from students appreciative of the opportunity to learn from a teacher of his caliber.
Drewry's class, intelligence, and style impacted students as much as the spirit of the late Henry W. Grady impacted him. Drewry never missed an opportunity to inform his students how the spirit of Grady watched over them all and expected them to uphold the finest journalistic traditions. Always impressive with his knowledge of the written and spoken word, the Dean was also known for his ability to recognize the voice of any of his 200+ students during roll call and point out imposters. Many uncanny abilities seemed to emanate from the man, but they were mostly skills of perception that any extraordinary journalist would utilize.
Drewry wrote four books, edited 26 others, and wrote a column called "New Book News" for 61 years. Many groups, associations, and organizations have honored him, but nothing compares to the honor that those who knew, loved, and learned from him possess.
Since Drewry's retirement in 1969, the school has had four deans: Warren K. Agee, from 1969 to 1975; Scott M. Cutlip, from 1975 to 1983; J. Thomas Russell, another Grady graduate, from 1983 to 2000; and John Soloski, in 2001.
J. Tom Russell graduated from the Grady College in 1963 with a degree in advertising and after graduate work at the University of Illinois, he came back to UGA in 1967 as an assistant professor of advertising. An industry leader in the field of mass communication study and an unwavering supporter of the Grady College, Russell became associate dean in 1977, head of advertising in 1981 and dean in 1983. He taught and conducted research in a number of areas of advertising and marketing and his are immeasurable throughout his career and especially his 17 years as the fourth dean of the Grady College.
An authority on libel law and a leader in journalism education, John Soloski served as dean from 2001 to 2005, after more than 20 years at the Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
The Grady College's First Student
Lamar Trotti, the first journalism graduate from the University of Georgia, earned distinction as a motion-picture writer and producer, with more than 50 films to his credit and an Oscar for Wilson.
But it was the second graduate - John E. Drewry - whose name and reputation were synonymous with the school for five decades. He joined the faculty upon receiving his degree in 1922, succeeded founder S.V. Sanford as director of the school in 1932 and assumed the position of dean in 1940.
In 1921 the school was named for Henry W. Grady, Athens native, University of Georgia graduate and managing editor and part owner of The Atlanta Journal Constitution in the 1880s. His name was chosen, according to Sanford, to provide the school "prestige from the outset."
In the years since the first journalism course was taught by Sanford in 1913, the practice of journalism and communication has changed dramatically and the program of study has changed with it.
The scope of the program has grown to include seven undergraduate professional majors in three departments: advertising and public relations in the Advertising/Public Relations Department; newspapers, magazines, and publication management in the Journalism Department; and broadcast news and telecommunications arts in the Telecommunications department.
With the addition of the doctoral program and the administrative division of the departments, the journalism school was elevated to college status in 1988. Its official name became the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
The undergraduate degree offered by the college is the Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (ABJ). In cooperation with the Graduate School, programs for the Master of Arts degree were begun in 1932, the Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1983.
Currently, the college has more than 1300 students and more than 54 faculty members.