Richard “Dick” Schwarzlose, the Medill School of Journalism’s longest-tenured faculty member and a heralded teacher called a “rock of integrity” by some colleagues, died Saturday; he was 66.
Schwarzlose died following an apparent heart attack while biking, one of his favorite activities, on Green Bay Trail in Evanston.
The professor joined Northwestern’s faculty in 1968 and was awarded the Charles Deering McCormick Professorship of Teaching Excellence in 2002. A specialist in the field of media ethics, Schwarzlose most recently taught history and issues of journalism, a required class for all Medill students.
Journalism Prof. Abe Peck, who worked with Schwarzlose for about 21 years, said Schwarzlose’s teaching method inspired students to question journalism and to remain aware of ethical considerations.
“He could make (students) realize it was about more than dotting the ‘i’s and crossing the ‘t’s,” Peck said. “He personified ethics.”
Peck also said teaching was such an important part of Schwarzlose’s life that his family returned to the school Monday with term papers in hand so his students’ grades would be completed on time.
Medill Assistant Dean Roger Boye echoed Peck’s words and praised Schwarzlose’s effect on students, pointing to the professor’s consistently high CTEC ratings.
“He was particularly good at fostering students, getting them to talk and learn as much from each other as from him,” said Boye, who took a class from Schwarzlose in 1970.
And to some students, Schwarzlose was more a friend than a professor.
“There are a lot of teachers that are in Medill who are just associates, have very minimal conversation,” said Garrett Baldwin, a Medill senior. “Dick’s worth to us was as a friend. He was always there for his students and would always offer a minute or two just to hear you rant.”
Baldwin, who said he considered Schwarzlose a mentor, had plans to go biking with the professor along Green Bay Trail in Evanston during Fall Quarter. As a tribute to Schwarzlose, Baldwin said he will still make the trip.
“Even though we had never gone before,” Baldwin said, “and even through he’s not going to be there, he’ll be with me.”
Schwarzlose was born in Chicago and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in journalism and a doctorate in communication. Before becoming a professor, reported at The News-Gazette in Champaign.
He also penned the two-volume set, “The Nation’s Newsbrokers and Newspapers: A Reference Guide.”
Schwarzlose is survived by his wife, Sally; son Daniel, Weinberg ’95; and daughter Rebecca, Weinberg ’02.
A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, in Alice Millar Chapel.
The family requested that any donations be sent to Medill.
