Herskowitz, Blackman Named Warner Chairs
Two accomplished journalism veterans, including one who taught
at Sam Houston State when Bear Bryant was just a cub, have
been named holders of the Warner Endowed Chair in Journalism.
Author and sports columnist Mickey Herskowitz returns to the
Sam Houston State University classroom, where he taught the
first sportswriting course in a Texas college more than 40
years ago. Some of his best classroom stories then were about
his first big assignment, covering Paul "Bear" Bryant
and the Texas A&M football team.
Michael L. Blackman, who has worked for 33 years as a reporter
and editor in Philadelphia, Fort Worth and New York and was
an adviser to the Ohio State University student newspaper
more than 30 years ago, will take on that assignment again
at Sam Houston State.
"I'm delighted to be returning to Sam Houston, and the
chance to feel young again," said Herskowitz.
Blackman said he found "vision and energy" at SHSU
when he interviewed for the job.
"I was much impressed with the university's commitment
to and concern for its students, starting with the administration,"
Blackman said. "I feel privileged indeed to be asked
to be a part of the SHSU journalism team for the coming year."
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Mickey Herskowitz |
Herskowitz earned his bachelor's degree from the University
of Houston and while he has worked primarily in sports for the
Houston Post and Chronicle, he has also co-authored books with
a number of famous people and won awards for general reporting
as well.
He was the first writer to win national first place awards in
three Associated Press categories in one year, 1968. These came
in science (Apollo 8 moon orbit), politics (Democratic and Republican
Conventions), and sports (World Series).
He has written columns and books about, for, and with people
like Bryant, Dan Rather, Mickey Mantle, Howard Cosell, Gene
Autry, Bette Davis, Gene Tierney, Nolan Ryan, Ruth Ryan, Tom
Kite, John Connally, Nellie Connally, George Blanda, Leon Jaworski,
Red McCombs, Prescott Bush and Walt Cunningham.
Herskowitz was the youngest sports editor of a major newspaper
in the country at the age of 26. A former Marine, he has been
inducted into the Houston Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame,
and is one of two Texans ever to receive the national Headliners
Award for excellence in sports writing.
In addition to his writing and radio-TV commentaries, his career
has ranged across the sports world. He is a former executive
with the American Football League; a New York magazine editor,
and an original partner in the Houston Rockets.
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Michael Blackman |
Blackman earned his bachelor's degree from Baylor University
in 1967 and his master's from Ohio State in 1974. Since then
he has worked at the Baytown Sun, Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati Post, New York Times, and
Philadelphia Inquirer.
He was vice president and executive editor for the Star-Telegram
for eight years, editor for two years, and editorial director
for three years. He has continued his work there part time
since his retirement in 1999, and also worked as senior writer/editor
at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
A former military policeman in the U. S. Army Reserve and
flight-line mechanic in the U. S. Air Force Reserve, Blackman
has won a number of awards and presided over staffs that have
won numerous local, state and national newspaper awards.
He has also written short stories and plays which have won
awards and been performed in professional theaters across
the country. His 8,000-word essay "Memoirs and Baylor
Basketball of Old" is being expanded into a book.
"I am delighted that Terry Thibodeaux (interim dean of
the College of Humanities and Social Sciences) and Janet Bridges
(who chairs the Department of Mass Communication) were able
to land these outstanding practitioner-teachers," said
James F. Gaertner, SHSU president.
"When I was a student at Sam Houston State the journalism
department was known for its use of working reporters and
editors," said Gaertner. "These two accomplished
veterans of this field will help us to continue our tradition
of producing qualified and sought-after communications professionals."
The Warner professorship is one of the most prestigious honors
awarded on the Sam Houston State University campus and the
only endowed chair position in the Department of Mass Communication.
It was established by a $1 million grant from Houston Endowment.
—END—
The Philip G. Warner Chair in
Journalism was established by a grant of $1 million from Houston
Endowment Inc., a charitable trust founded by the late Jesse
H. Jones and his wife, Mary Gibbs Jones. Jones was publisher
of the Houston Chronicle. One of his employees was Philip
G. Warner, a 1961 SHSU graduate who served in a number of
positions at the Chronicle, from reporter to vice-president
and editor-in-chief. Warner was named a Distinguished Alumnus
of Sam Houston State in 1985.
SHSU Media Contact: Frank
Krystyniak
Aug. 5, 2005
Please send comments, corrections, news tips to Today@Sam.edu.
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