The School of Journalism and Mass Communication recently celebrated the Wallace J. Hagedorn Photojournalism Scholarship with renovations to the Wallace J. Hagedorn gallery and a dinner and reception with Hagedorn trust managers.
The Hagedorn Photojournalism Scholarship, established in 2014, is ’s largest scholarship fund. After taking one class at in 1941, Wallace J. Hagedorn was so impressed that he decided to give a legacy gift of $4.2 million dollars to the photojournalism program. The funds can help students in two ways: for tuition scholarships and for student experience assistance.
“The beauty is that it’s not limited,” said assistant professor David Foster, describing the use of funds.
Hagedorn trust managers joined student scholarship recipients and members of the administration for dinner and a celebration on Oct. 3, 2016, to discuss the scholarship’s impact. More than 30 students have been impacted this year because of the support, according to Foster. In 2016, photojournalism students have already worked internationally in Cyprus, Costa Rica, Dublin and Africa.
“I got to go to my dream destination, doing my dream job for two months, and that was because of Hagedorn,” said Aaron Self, ’17, photojournalism major. Over the summer of 2016, Self traveled with conservation organizations throughout Africa to create promotional videos and photograph wildlife.
Self’s work from that internship is being considered for the next rotation of photos in the Hagedorn Gallery, which was renovated in conjunction with the recent celebration.
Foster, who serves on the committee that manages Hagedorn money, took leadership in renovating the Hagedorn Gallery, located on Franklin Hall’s third floor just outside of FirstEnergy Auditorium. The current display features student photography focused on the 2016 presidential election.
“Our students have been really active in photographing these events,” Foster said, noting their work in covering campaign stops for both candidates and the Republican National Convention, which took place in Cleveland this past July.
Before the election photos, student photos from Costa Rica were featured. Soon, the gallery will feature improved lighting and lettering on the walls.
“We turned what the university considers a hallway into a legitimate gallery,” said Foster. “I hope we create a trend.”