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Brown's Personality Drew Students to J-School
By Kayla Matzke

Photo by Dan Doherty

Ever since he first came to UM’s School of Journalism in 1999, Jerry Brown has made an impression on the school’s students. Whether it is his notorious cigar, southern drawl or old-time fedora hat, many students will never forget the first time they encountered Brown.

"I came to school here because of Jerry," said Montana Kaimin editor and senior in print journalism Bill Oram. "He convinced me to come here even though he couldn’t pronounce my last name."

Oram said he remembers a Kaimin barbecue during the spring of 2007 that was held outside of the old journalism building. He said Brown showed up while the students were grilling hot dogs and playing catch. The students invited Brown to join the barbecue. According to Oram, Brown replied, "'This ain’t barbecuin'. This is grillin'. To barbecue you need 24 hours and a pig.'"

Rebecca Schiel, the J-School’s office manager, recalls meeting Brown at her job interview, the first day she came to Montana. Schiel said that when Brown discovered she was an English major he asked her who her favorite writer was. Schiel said she didn’t have a favorite but that she just hated Faulkner. She realized Brown’s passion for Faulkner not long after she said that, once she looked around his office at his Faulkner collection.

"I didn’t think I was going to get (the job)," she said.

After working with Brown, Schiel said she will most "miss his abuse laden with his Southern charm"

Perhaps what Oram will miss most about Brown is his habit of quoting legendary philosophers and writers.

"He’s an incredibly smart guy. He quotes Aristotle and Faulkner and he makes it matter to you," Oram said.

Speaking on behalf of other J-School students, Oram said "we all find great pleasure in quoting Jerry Brown in our best Alabama accents."

Senior print journalism major Ryan Thompson took Brown’s opinion writing class last spring. Thompson said he would miss Brown’s sarcastic style of teaching.

"Jerry Brown was a very witty, opinionated and oftentimes hilarious teacher," he said. "He wasn’t afraid to joke around with the students or criticize them in a friendly way, which allowed us to examine our own opinions in the process."

Thompson said he would also miss Brown’s personality. "He took great pride in his Southern heritage and also poked fun at it,"

Print journalism senior Sean Breslin said that Brown is inspiring to students.

"Jerry Brown played by his own rules and nobody knew what those rules were," Breslin said. "I’ll miss the twinkle in his eyes and the cigar paper in his beard."

Brown’s retirement makes Breslin wonder "who will present the Mendacious Little Bastard Award" at Dean Stone night in the spring.

Many students felt that Brown became the face of the J-School. Broadcast senior Dan Boyce said he would miss Brown’s signature fedora hat. Boyce said that "he looks like the old guard of journalism just tapping away at the typewriter," in it.

And yet Brown also represented the future, spearheading the move to build Don Anderson Hall, and constantly recruiting talented new students.

"From the four years that I have been here," Thompson said, "I’ve gotten the impression that he (Brown) has made the J-School more visible."

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