Backup
plan led to journalism
By Veryl Fritz, 1951
The Centennial of the Greenlee School
encourages me to reminisce a bit. I enrolled at Iowa State College in
1947 as a physical education major. At the end of my freshman year,
I switched
to my backup plan. I transferred to agricultural journalism.
I had the privilege of taking classes under some great teachers—Ken
Marvin, Jim Schwartz, Rod Fox, Harry Heath, Ed Blinn and Bill Ames. Bill
Holmes was in charge of the presses and was most helpful to all the students.
I worked with, and was both challenged and inspired by, a number of talented
student journalists, including Ed and Hugh Sidey, Deane Robertson, Bill
Olcott, Bill Fleming, Dave Bryant, Bob Crom, Frank Ferguson, Herb Pownall
and Bob Doran.
Upon graduation in December l951, I served nearly two years in the U.S.
Army. My journalism degree and ROTC commission enabled me to be assigned
as an assistant public information officer while in Korea. I experienced
many memorable, but fortunately not life-threatening, activities during
my l7 months of duty there.
My next move was to the University of Illinois, where I earned a master
of science degree in animal science with a minor in advertising in l956.
During my professional career, I specialized in agricultural advertising
and benefited from working with Lyle Abbott, Gene Cooper, Clancy Strock,
Dutch VerSteegh, Ralph Anderson and Ray and Roy Reiman.
After joining the ISU faculty in 1982, I enjoyed working with, and
advising, many dedicated ag journalism students, and getting the advertising
sequence
approved as a degree program. The credit for whatever success I achieved
belongs to the many Iowa State journalists who had a hand in guiding
me. Thank you, all.
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