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Murrow exhibit through Dec. 21
Festival celebrates WSU newsman's life, legacy
Monday, May 7, 2012
Edward R. Murrow with brothers Lacey, left, and Dewey, right, in New York in 1949.
(Photo courtesy of the Murrow Center, Tufts University)
(Photo courtesy of the Murrow Center, Tufts University)
By Karen Molenaar Terrell, '78
BLANCHARD, Wash. – Journalism curriculum today is founded on principles integral to the work of Edward R. Murrow, whose straightforward integrity was shared by another well-known Cougar, according to Washington State University speakers at a recent festival celebrating Murrow's news broadcasting legacy.
One of the most famous newsmen in American history, Murrow was born in North Carolina but as a child moved to Blanchard, Wash., in Skagit County - site of the April 29 festival. He and his older brothers, Dewey and Lacey, attended WSU in Pullman, Wash.
Starting with an opening reception May 10, the Skagit County Historical Museum in La Conner will present on exhibit about Murrow and his brothers through Dec. 21. Read more about the "Murrow boys” and the exhibit in the May issue of Washington State Magazine here.
Principled journalism
The journalism curriculum taught at WSU is founded on four principles in Murrow's news reporting - "skepticism, honor, honesty and courage" – said John Paxson, news director at WSU's Murrow College of Communication, during his festival remarks.
A past CBS News vice president and London bureau chief, Paxson said he is "surprised at the ubiquity of Edward R. Murrow, even today." During his career, Paxson worked with many people who had known Murrow. In fact, the man who mentored Paxson, Larry LaSeur, was hand-selected by Murrow to work on his news team.
"Model yourself on Edward R. Murrow,” journalist and former news anchor Dan Rather once told Paxson. "It is a critical step if you want to call yourself a journalist."
Shared integrity
Murrow shared integrity with another who looms large in WSU history, said Stephen Jones, director of WSU's Mount Vernon Northwestern Research and Extension Center, in his festival speech. Agriculturist William S. Spillman also was committed to standing up for what he thought was right.
Spillman arrived to work as a professor and football coach in Pullman in 1894. He knew nothing about football but "he was a scholar," Jones said, so he read a book about football and coached the WSU team to victory over Idaho in its first game.
A crop research pioneer in genetics, Spillman rejected his era's progressive fascination with eugenics – genetic manipulation applied in order to "improve” people. He advocated for local produce and against over-use of agricultural chemicals, Jones said.
Spillman was "one of the few government employees who was not a corporate hireling," according to Upton Sinclair, author of the classic novel "The Jungle.”
Spillman died in 1931, a year after Murrow graduated from WSU.
Annual event
The Murrow brothers were the topic discussed by festival speaker Clark McAbee, director of the Skagit Historical Museum. Lacey was "a big man on campus" - treasurer of his class and a member of ROTC who majored in military science and tactics - McAbee said.
At age 28, Lacey was appointed state director of highways by the Washington governor. He supervised engineering on the first Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the Deception Pass Bridge.
The festival concluded with tours of Blanchard's Murrow sites, music and a potluck meal. The community hopes to make the festival an annual event.
Karen Molenaar Terrell, '78, has had articles published in Newsweek, the Christian Science Monitor and Pack and Paddle magazine. She is author if the book, "Blessings: Adventures of a Madcap Christian Scientist.” Her oldest son is a WSU sophomore.
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