Brian Brooks, B.J. ’67, M.A. ’69, professor and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Administration of the School of Journalism, will retire at the end of the 2011-2012 school year. Brooks has been a part of the journalism school’s faculty since 1974 and has been associate dean since January 2003. In 2009, Brooks was inducted into the Missouri Newspaper Hall of Fame by the Missouri Press Association in recognition for his contributions to the journalism profession. Brooks’ legacy at MU includes improving the use of technology in journalism classrooms, managing the Dow Jones News Fund editing internship program, creating the Walter Williams Scholar Program, writing and co-writing four journalism textbooks, and educating thousands of aspiring journalists. Her Campus sat down and took a look back with Brooks on his long and accomplished career at Mizzou.
Her Campus Mizzou: What classes have you most enjoyed teaching?
Brian Brooks: Probably editing and news writing. Right now I am teaching a European media course, and I have really been enjoying that.
HCM: How long have you been teaching editing and news writing?
BB: I’ve been teaching those off and on for 38 years.
HCM: What are your plans following retirement?
BB: I am still going to work part-time. I will teach two courses in the fall and nothing in the spring, which will free me up to travel. Next spring, I am going to spring training.
HMC: What is your favorite Mizzou memory?
BB: It’s sports-related. I was an undergraduate here, and we beat Florida in the Sugar Bowl in 1966. And after that game Marching Mizzou marched down Bourbon Street playing the Tiger fight song. That’s a great memory! The quarterback on the Florida team was Steve Spurrier, who was later head coach at Florida and is now the head coach at South Carolina.
HCM: What’s your favorite place in Columbia?
BB: Probably Memorial Stadium, Faurot Field. Nothing like a Mizzou football game! (Brooks has season tickets to the football and basketball games.)
HCM: What legacy do you hope to leave at Mizzou?
BB: While I was associate dean we created the Walter Williams Scholar program, and I am very proud of that. It has multiplied by five or six times the number of high-ability students coming to the school, so that is a significant accomplishment. I think since I have become associate dean I have tried to make the school more student-friendly in general. I think we have succeeded in great measure in doing that with things like creating opportunities for faculty and students to mix outside the classroom, tickets to concerts and such. I have always felt that students are happier and do better if they like the place where they are going to school. And I think for the most part our students really like it here.
