History of the UT Journalism Department

In January 1913, University of Texas president Sidney E. Mezes presented a resolution from the Texas Women's Press Association requesting that The University of Texas establish a school of journalism and that Will H. Mayes be named as organizer and director. Mayes agreed to organize the School of Journalism in April 1914, and the School officially opened its doors in the fall of that same year. Five years later, in 1919, Paul J. Thompson became a faculty member of the School of Journalism, beginning a 45-year career of journalism teaching and administration at UT. He served as chairman of the department from 1927 to 1958.

DeWitt C. Reddick, one of the founders of the College of Communication, joined the journalism faculty in 1927 and served as director of the school from 1959 to 1965 when he became the first dean of the College of Communication. He served as dean until 1969.

From "The Founding of the College of Communication"
by Martin Todaro and Jesse Villarreal