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In September 1978, MTV, ESPN, cell phones, the World Wide Web and most of today’s University of Maryland students were yet to be born.

Jimmy Carter was president. The Bee Gee’s “Night Fever” topped the Billboard charts. Two anti-war films, the “Deer Hunter” and “Coming Home,” were critically acclaimed, but the big box office hits were “Grease” and “National Lampoon’s Animal House.” The world’s first test tube baby was born. James Michener and Herman Wouk dominated the best-seller’s list while “Laverne and Shirley” and “Three’s Company” were the most-watched shows on television. Gasoline cost 77 cents a gallon.

And at College Park, a new professor began what would be a quarter-century of teaching, mentoring and guiding countless aspiring journalists.

Professor Ben Holman, who retired this summer, was “instrumental in building this journalism program,” said Dean Thomas Kunkel. “He has helped shape the lives of hundreds of our graduates. It’s easy to see why he’s one of the most beloved figures at the school.”

Holman joined the faculty at the College of Journalism in 1978-1979 as a visiting professor, and was appointed to the rank of full professor the following year. During his tenure in College Park, he taught an extraordinarily wide range of courses, ranging from newspaper, radio and television classes to seminars on the coverage of the homeless, sports and racial issues.

“Ben has served as a mentor for countless students who remember his concern for them with gratitude,” said long-time colleague Maurine Beasley. “Ben’s whole life has been a story of charting a course for others to follow.”

Holman entered journalism as a reporter for the Chicago Daily News in 1952 upon graduation from the University of Kansas. He was one of the first African-American journalists at the newspaper. After 10 years at the now-defunct paper, he made the leap into television news, first as a commentator and reporter for WBBM-TV in Chicago and then as a correspondent and editor for CBS News in New York.

Holman joined NBC News in Washington as a correspondent and producer in 1968, and the following year then-President Richard M. Nixon appointed him assistant attorney general in charge of community relations for the Justice Department. He served in that post for eight years.

“He traveled the country meeting with white and black people trying to mediate disputes and head them off,” said former Dean Reese Cleghorn. “He knew all the big players in racial affairs. … He held the trust of just about everybody he dealt with.”

At Maryland, he edited the Faculty Voice, an independent faculty newspaper, and served on the board of the Black Faculty and Staff Association.

He helped not only students at Maryland, but colleagues as well.

Dr. Lee Thornton described how Holman was the person who first contacted her at Howard University when the College was looking for a pre-eminent broadcast journalist and educator to serve as the first Richard Eaton Chair in Broadcast Journalism.

“I will never forget that and will always think of Professor Holman as a good and generous man who helped me take a major step up in my academic career,” Thornton said.

“Once I was at the college, I found that his generosity did not end with that one magnanimous gesture. He was always available to me for advice, counsel and discussions of issues of importance to me in my work with the students here. He was truly a mentor.”

Holman received the Barry Bingham Sr. Fellowship in 1996 from the National Editorial Writers Foundation for leadership in education and attracting minority students to journalism careers, and was honored by the University’s President’s Commission on Ethnic Minority Issues in 2002.

In retirement, Holman plans to work on his memoirs.

"Ben was an extraordinary man of courage, conviction, forthrightness, loyalty and multiple talents. He was the first African-American to succeed as a reporter for a mainstream Chicago newspaper,. His 10 years with the Chicago Daily News broke new ground for black journalists everywhere. The paper put his photo on the sides of its delivery trucks to promote his "inside" series exposing turmoil and irregularities in the Black Muslim movement. Not good. Those who disliked his coverage now could spot him, and did.

His athletic abilities came to the fore when twice, once in Chicago after his series ran, and later in Harlem,. he had to run for his life from thugs who wanted to beat him for his reporting.

He showed the range of his talents by reporting for WBBM in Chicago in the heyday of radio news and was both a director and a producer with national networks as they pioneered in television news. He asked at one network whether his race would keep him from being on air as a reporter. Today it is hard to imagine, but he was told frankly that the network would not have a black on-air journalist. He left for work elsewhere.

In the Nixon and Ford administrations he was director of the Community Relations Service of the Justice Department, giving him the rank of assistant attorney general. Ben didn't like staying in his office. Amazingly, he tried to visit every state to see for himself the problems in black-white relations during a time of dynamic change in the country. He could relate to all kinds of people and was often a catalyst for better human relations. Malcolm X was a friend (and once told him that his expose series on the Black Muslims was right on target). Jesse Jackson often was in touch with him. Early in Dr. Martin Luther King's high-profile years he learned about Ben and sent word that he wanted to meet him. They got together in a hotel and talked about the civil rights movement. Ben could talk easily with segregationist Southern politicians, the U.S. attorney general and civil rights workers in the field. He had easy access to anyone in the Justice Department, sometimes just dropping in on the FBI director or the attorney general. Before Deep Throat of Watergate fame was identified, Ben said he believed this secret informer had been the director of the FBI. It turned out that Deep Throat was not the director but assistant director.

On our faculty Ben was periodically head of our broadcast news work, chaired important committees , was elected to be our representative in the Campus Senate and one year served as acting dean. No one doubted his fairness and openness. His sense of humor often came through. When we were having faculty offices painted, I asked faculty members to choose colors for their offices. Ben came by and said he wanted brown walls. That way, he said, people couldn't see him and wouldn't interrupt his work. In reality, he was always open to visitors, and students gravitated toward him. He had profound impact especially upon African-American students, who trusted his career and personal advice. He was instrumental in establishing our student chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists and advised its leaders. Within a couple of years it was named the best in the country. I don't think it is a stretch to say that many people loved Ben. His decency, readiness to help others and total integrity made him a true pillar of this school.

- Reese Cleghorn, Professor and former dean of the College of Journalism

"We appointed Ben to a full professorship in our College while I was dean. Up until that time, as far as I can tell, we had never had a minority person on our faculty, and there were then still only a few in the entire university. We felt that Ben, an Assistant Attorney General of the United States with significant and lengthy journalism experience as a newspaper reporter and broadcast network correspondent, was well-qualified for a full professorship, even though he was not a PhD. Some outside our College felt his appointment was controversial. But he was confirmed, fortunately, and he went on to complete a long and distinguished career with us. In my counting, he served on more committees than any other single faculty member in the university, and he always willingly did so, knowing that he represented something very important, and that it was service only he could do. He gave an extraordinary amount of his time and knowledge to this university and its students. But the most significant tribute we can pay him is to say simply that his students adored him. What better legacy can a man leave?"

- Ray Hiebert, Professor Emeritus and former dean - College of Journalism

"Ben Holman was a pioneering figure in television news. When TV news was lilly white, Ben added face and voice of a man of color. Much too modest to ever boast about it and never able to express his feelings on paper, I heard many a tale of his working in Chicago to make visible a vast population of that city. We should honor his presence in the history of television."

-Douglas Gomery, Resident Scholar at the Library of American Broadcasting,
University of Maryland

"I am saddened by the death of Prof. Holman. During my undergraduate studies, I had the pleasure of working under him in the College of Journalism during 1979-1983. As Dean of the College of Journalism, he treated all of the work-study students with a deep interest. He knew all of our names, he asked about our families and was a professional in every sense of the word! I am not a journalist today but I am a teacher in Baltimore County, Maryland. I completed my Masters degree in Special Education and I am working on a Ph.D. at College of Notre Dame of Maryland. As I have worked towards this career goal, I often am reminded of a conversation I had with Prof. Holman. He said that no matter what you do, do it well and enjoy the moment. My deepest sympathy goes out to his family and all who cared about him and loved him."

- Michele M. Lansinger (Jean), College of Journalism, BS, 1983

"Ben Holman made a tremendous contribution to the Philip Merrill College of Journalism and to the campus as a whole during his years with us. Ben believed in bringing people together and in defusing situations that might lead to possible conflict. He was an expert in negotiations within both political and academic settings. He was a man of great integrity who was passionate about using jounalism to improve society. He cared deeply about our students and our field. He was a fine role model for others."

- Maurine Beasley, Professor - Philip Merrill College of Journalism

"It's difficult to reflect on the loss of Ben Holman both as a friend and colleague. He was a complex man and trying to fit him into one mold or another would not do him the justice he deserves. For instance he made an enormous contribution advancing the status of African Americans in journalism, but to limit the discussion of what he accomplished in his professional life to the topic of race would be a big mistake. He was one of the building blocks at the very foundation of the College that served as a platform to build the prestige it now enjoys. While he did not have an Ph.D., he brought uncanny clarity to the discussion of the relationship between academia and the profession. He mentored both students and junior faculty in subtle and not-so-subtle ways probably few people will understand or remember.

In a real sense Ben represented the soul and conscience of the College, and I hope as time passes we do not loose sight of his vision."

- John Newhagen, Associate Professor - Philip Merrill College of Journalism

"I always wanted to be a sportswriter and I, like most young journalism students starting out at Maryland, thought I was the greatest thing to happen to writing since the long dash. And I, like every young journalism student at Maryland, was quickly brought down to earth my freshman year by the J School staff. They let me know I still had a lot to learn, AP style being first and foremost.

And that's the way it should be. Your first year at the J School is akin to boot camp. The professors try to break you down and weed out the students who don't have a thick skin or writing ability to make it as reporters. They almost suceeded with me. By the end of my sophomore year I was wondering if I had what it took to be a newspaper reporter.

Ben Holman helped me stop wondering.

My 100 and 200 level journalism professors "razed" me and my ego, and then Ben Holman came in and "raised" me up to become a confident writer.

I'm not sure what Ben saw in me as a writer or a person, but when he spoke, (in that deep booming voice that would make James Earl Jones quiver) you listened. Ben let me know I was a good sportswriter and, with a little help from him, could be come a great one. I hung on his every word in the sportswriting class he taught. (How could you not with that voice.) I asked him questions about sportswriting and tried to visit him at least every other week during his office hours.

He was honest with me, sometimes brutally honest, but he made me a better writer, a better reporter and much better observer of sports and people.

I graduated from Maryland in 1988 and got an offer to write sports at a small local newspaper. When I got the offer the first person I called was Ben Holman. I asked him what he thought and he told me I was too good to work there. So I turned down the job. A few months later I landed a job writing sports at The Star-Ledger in New Jersey. I was there 10 years before moving on to The Washington Times where I worked as an editor in the sports department for another five years. The Washington Times sports department alone has half a dozen people who were taught by Ben Holman.

I wrote thousands of stories in my journalism career and I'm not ashamed to say the story I'm most proud of is one I wrote for the Diamondback in early April 1987. It is a men's lacrosse game story in which the Terrapins dominated No. 1 North Carolina. I submitted it as one of my assignments for Ben's sportswriting class. He told me it was one of the best game stories he had ever read and gave me an A+. I was beaming.

Ben impacted a lot of people in his life and many of us never got a chance to tell him to his face. I regret having lost touch with him when I moved back to New Jersey. My only hope is that this tribute is worthy of him. I'm sure wherever he is, he has a blue pen out correcting a comma splice or run on sentence.

Thanks Ben Holman. You will be missed."

- David Coates, B.S. Journalism 1988

"Ben Holman leaves a huge hole in our faculty, and even more important, in our lives. He was one of the truly "good guys"--decent, honorable, thoughtful, and someone whose life was devoted to making a difference in the cause of good journalism, civil rights, citizenship, and always battling for the highest standards of justice and personal behavior. We will miss him, and not just now, but for years to come."

- Haynes Johnson, Knight Chair in Journalism - Philip Merrill College of Journalism

"Reading about the sad news of Prof. Holman’s passing stopped me dead in my tracks. As a stressed journalism graduate student, Holman extended a hand of calm. Holman was patient, kind and a wealth of knowledge. I took his class on homelessness, and many times he would stay long after to chat about politics, journalism and how I was doing. It was always interesting to hear about what he was doing during major news events like the assassination of MLK, or Watergate, or Apollo, you name it, he had an anecdote. And that’s how I will always remember him, smiling, sharing his thoughts and genuine."

- Sarah Hoye, Staff Writer at the Tampa Tribune; M.J. 2003

"I am so sorry to hear of Mr. Holman's passing, he was a great teacher and a great man. His style is what sticks with me to this day, he was as a no nonsense, straight to the point teacher and mentor. I will always remember him for the staunch advice and guidance he gave to me. Thanks Mr. Holman, I will surely miss you."

- Jeff Trilling, B.A. 1992.

"Ben was a great journalist, teacher, and person. But one thing was extra special about him: he was a peacemaker. He did it for the government for a while, but he also did it at the university. He was a man of rock-solid integrity and high standards, but he always worked to solve problems and to bring people together not drive them apart. Standing for what is right in a way that is unifying is a rare gift. Ben had it, and shared it, and we all benefited from it."

- Carl Sessions Stepp, Professor - Philip Merrill College of Journalism

"Ben Holman was one of the first friends I made after joining the faculty of the College of Journalism in 1985. His office was near mine. He'd often stop at my door to chat before going down to his office to tackle the line of students usually waiting at his door. More than most, he understood and shared the importance I attached to writing and teaching writing. Our friendship deepened when he began working on his memoir. Ben was not one to toot his own horn, and it was not until I started learning more about what he was writing that I began to see the rich and unique set of experiences he brought to his work here.

Our end of the fourth floor was never quite same after Ben retired. I miss those days and cherish the memory of Ben's wisdom and good company."

- Judith Paterson, associate professor (retired), Philip Merrill College of Journalism

"In 1981, I began a 10-year-run as an adjunct, teaching editing, reporting and reporting public affairs. It was the best thing I have ever done, and I like to think most of the 500 students in my sections got something out of it, too.

Ben Holman hired me when no one else would have -- after all I didn't have a masters degree. All I could do was teach, and all I had, besides some pretty exceptional real-world experience, was a passion for doing it.

He saw it. Nobody else would have, and once I left my day job and brought no more cachet to the job snobs running the college, I was a memory.

Thanks, Ben. You were different, and you took a chance that meant everything to me.

- Ira Allen

"I distincly remember feeling distressed and frustrated going up to Ben Holman's office in the rafters of the J-school one day in the winter of 1996. These were precarious times at Maryland. Yet, with just a brief but thoughtful sentence from his heart, Ben instilled in me a truckload of confidence. From time to time I'm reminded of his words. I'll remember them until I go his way. Rest in peace, Ben."

- Adam C. Lilling, Esq., B.A. 1998

"I'm heartbroken to hear about the passing of Professor Holman. At the same time, I'm thankful for having known him.

During the early 90's, I spent many afternoons sitting across from him in his third floor office. He would tell stories about television in its infancy, and would give timeless advice about career aspirations. From his love of the Washington Redskins, to his quest for knowledge traveling the globe; Professor Holman seemed to live a full and great life. Under that booming voice was a heart of gold, and a wit that could have you laughing so hard, doubling over, and falling off your chair.

He pushed his students, because he really loved seeing us realize our potential. Professor Holman was always setting us up to succeed. I will always remember him as a great teacher, mentor, and friend."

- Mike Dunston, B.S. 1993

"Ben Holman was the first professor who encouraged my pursuit to become a sports writer. Most professors thought it was the "toy department" and not as serious as the "real journalists" who cover news. Holman knew better. He said we needed to be superior to those covering everyday issues and provided more real input into our writing than anyone else in the building. Holman's impact was probably underrated and overlooked, but he's one of the pillars of my career."

- Rick Snider, Washington Examiner, B.S. 1982

"I had the good fortune to work with Ben Holman as a faculty member and as his assistant dean. He was a man with a great sense of integrity and love for the news business. And it was his passion for instilling that integrity and love that made him a successful teacher. When we began the sports journalism class, his greatest concern was making sure that students understood that they could still be sports fans and journalists at the same time. He loved all sports (particularly teams in Chicago), but wouldn't miss an opportunity to see the Redskins, Bullets (now Wizards), Caps and Terps. His commitment to his community led him to establish a newspaper in southern Prince George's County and he relied on the best alumni talent available. He used to regale us with stories from his non-Maryland life (particularly about his colleagues from CBS, the Justice Department and John (and Martha!) Mitchell). And yes, he really did ride his motorcycle to class! As a mentor and treasured friend, Ben Holman will be missed."

-Barbara B. Hines, Professor and Director of the Graduate Program in Mass Communication and Media Studies at Howard University and former faculty member and assistant dean of the College of Journalism

“WOW! I was absolutely astonished to hear that Professor Holman passed. I said, ‘No, not for real.’ I really thought I was dreaming, and now I recognize the reality of it.

Just three years ago, I sat in his Minorities in the News class and attentively watched as he stood before us students with the vitality of a younger professor. Although I knew that he was up in age, I admired his endurance to continue teaching journalism beyond age 70; it was his passion, his heart and my inspiration. I remember the day that he told us how old he really was; the times he induced our laughter with a shot of his impressive sense of humor – his driving skills, his “lovely ladies” and his “good ‘ole days”; the awe-inspiring wisdom hidden behind his down-to-earth demeanor (Because of his humble spirit, you wouldn’t know his stories until you listened to him.); and the times he just felt like “chillin’” on his stool and reminiscing on his years past as we viewed documentaries of the media’s depiction of racism issues.

On the days that he did not show up for class, my heart would sink, because I was so concerned about his overall well-being, knowing that he was such a valuable asset to the J-school. I absolutely concur with my former Professor Judith Paterson when she said he brought to our prestigious school a ‘rich and unique set of experiences.’

I will miss him; I will miss that inspiration. Now that he’s passed, I feel an even stronger desire to continue trailing in his footsteps and become an inspiring black woman, even now at my younger age; for, he certainly paved the way for all of us – the school, the minorities and the entire circle of current and prospective black journalists at Maryland and beyond. I’m now a journalism educator, and I strive each day to keep my students motivated to excel and in tune with journalism opportunities. Thanks, Professor Holman! You can count on me to ‘keep the dream alive!’”

- Charmere N. Gatson, University of West Florida adjunct journalism instructor, Department of the Navy analyst assigned to the FY 2008 President’s Budget at the White House complex, Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget; M.J. 2004

"Through the course of 4 years, it's hard to remember all of your professors and teachers. But it's always been easy for me to name my favorite professor at the University of Maryland. Prof. Ben Holman. I am saddened at the news of his passing. Prof. Holman’s teachings in my broadcast writing and sports journalism classes had a unique impact on me.

I remember vividly when reporters, producers and writers would be invited as guest speakers to our classes. They would stand there, telling young students how hard the business was, there was no money in it, being an on-air reporter was impossible, and if you do get there, it was impossible to get ahead. They told us to “get out while we can”. But then I would go to Prof. Holman’s class, or visit him during his office hours. Knowing where he came from, and the courage he displayed during the racial divide he had to overcome to be a writer and network correspondent, told me … nothing was impossible if I truly wanted to put the work and time in to become a sportscaster. He talked about having a passion for sports and writing, and reporting “good stories”. Sometimes the best stories weren’t about a game’s outcome or stats. Sports at times, was about life and death.

I thought of Prof. Holman in October of 2006 while I was reporting the death of Yankees pitcher Corey Lidle, after his plane crashed into a New York City high-rise. I had a moment of regret walking home that night … “I have to visit Prof. Holman this year, he’d be so proud of me.” I was regretting I didn’t visit him in 2006, during my several business trips to the Baltimore area. I was just a 30 minute ride to College Park, and thought of Prof. Holman, bringing him some of my new demos … showing him what I was doing … because I would not be in this job without his influence. I knew he retired in 2004, but also knew I could make an appointment. I never did. We emailed a bit after I graduated, and I continued sending him tapes, but “life happens”, I even got away from sports broadcasting for a bit, and before I knew it, I let time and distance get between me and my college professor. See, the reason I went to his office hours so much … (and as I reflect, I remember the darkness of his office, the wood paneling, furniture, very little natural sunlight, but loads of books, files, tapes, and a small television with a VHS player to watch and critique demo tapes) … I was there because not only did he rip and dissect my broadcast writing, and completely criticize my on-air style and delivery, but he knew I had a passion for writing, broadcasting, and sports. When I singed up for his classes, former students said I would get D’s, “He’s the toughest professor in the College of Journalism”. Actually, he was the best. Through all the red markings and slashes on my scripts, sessions where I would just cringe at his evaluation of my on-air reports … I felt it was my duty to work hard, for him, because he worked tirelessly, broke barriers, and expected that from me. Prof. Holman told me I would “make it”, and to not give up when hurdles arrived. I remember one grade, from one assignment at Maryland. It was his Sports and Mass Communication class and our final research project included a significant paper, presentation, and critique of another student’s paper. Prof. Holman gave me an A. Every day after that class, when days were long, I was making no money, living with friends or my parents, driving all across the country to serve football announcers coffee … I still remember Prof. Holman telling me to keep my passion alive, and that I will “make it”. When I return to Baltimore in 2007, as a host and reporter for the Boston Red Sox on the New England Sports Network, I will visit College Park. But I don’t have to bring samples of my work, my favorite professor has the best seat in the ballpark, to watch what he created.

- Tina Cervasio, B.A. 1996

"During my time at Merrill College (approx. 1992-95), Prof. Ben Holman allowed me the pleasure and privilege of interviewing him. I was fairly new at it, but it proved to be a wonderful and rich experience. When he let me know that he liked the story I'd written (and believe me, he was objective and precise), I was thrilled.

Shortly after graduation, at an intimate NABJ conference reception he hosted, I arrived eager to be in his presence again. I sat among a gathering of his former students and admirers. At UMCP, I was a returning student, struggling to catch up on career passions that had escaped my youth. I easily had a good 15 years on all the young people in the room. They were all confident and well established in their careers, while I had yet to land my first journalism job. The only thing I had in common with the youth around me was our deep appreciation for a great man who helped us shape our impression of things. I tried hard not to let it show, but I felt very unaccomplished and intimidated in their presence. I didn't want to get up and walk out of the room. I simply wanted to disappear unnoticed.

The reception was just about over, small talk and smiles were headed for the door, when Prof. Holman pointed a finger my way and remarked something like, "This young lady wrote a story about me that was one of the most insightful profiles I have ever read. She's going places."

Several of the "youthful accomplished" took time to slip me their business cards before leaving the room. Now, I was the person to know.

My prayers go out to his family and to all those touched by his generosity and wisdom. For me, his spirit resides among my most cherished memories of Merrill College/UMCP."

- Yvonne J. Medley, B.A. 1995

"I will remember Professor Holman as a role model. For an African-American student like myself, Professor Holman was it for me. He was tough and at times acerbic. Still, you knew he cared. Most importantly, before he cared, he wanted to be sure you cared about your success as a student. And he had a way of keeping you humble.

A year into my career as a television reporter, Professor Holman invited me back to the college to speak to one of his classes. I was feeling pretty good about myself, big man returning to speak to the little students. When it came time to introduce me Professor Holman lauded my success at landing my first job, but he also made sure to mention that I was not the best student he ever had. I was pretty good, but not the best, he said. Well, my ego and my head quickly receded to normal size!

I knew I wanted to be a sports journalist, but there were not many, if any, courses offered in the College of Journalism that specifically related to sports journalism. I mentioned this to Professor Holman. He then proceeded to put together a set of courses just for me, thus creating my special minor, Sports Journalism. I will never forget that or him.

My deepest sympathies to Professor Holman’s family and loved ones."

- Bremante Bryant, B.S. 1987

"I will miss Ben Holman for a lot of reasons, but mostly for the level of caring that he repeatedly demonstrated to students and colleagues. When I was running the Capital News Service print bureaus - first in Annapolis, and later in Washington - I often felt cut off from colleagues on the College Park campus. Occasionally, a dean or a college administrator would come out for a visit. Ben is the only faculty member that I can remember dropping in to both news bureaus. He would chuckle that he was only coming for a free crab cake, but, in fact, I knew that he was curious about how the news bureaus were faring, and interested in how I was handling the job. I would later come to admire not only his dry humor, but his honesty, and, let's face it, his bluntness. There were many faculty meetings in which Ben would break through a lot of rhetoric with a frank but honest comment that would get us all back on track. I'm very proud to have known and worked with Ben."

- Chris Harvey, lecturer and online bureau director - Philip Merrill College of Journalism (B.A. 1980)

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