Retired journalism professor Owen Johnson dies
Owen V. Johnson, associate professor of journalism, died Aug. 6. He was 76.
After working as a professional journalist and as a faculty member at Southern Illinois University, Johnson joined the IU faculty in 1980 as an assistant professor of journalism in the College of Arts and Sciences. He served as director of graduate studies in the School of Journalism for the 1990-1991 academic year, director of the Russian and East European Institute from 1991-1995, twice as acting director of the Polish Studies Center and as adjunct associate professor of history in the College. During the 2009-2010 academic year, he served as Fulbright Chair in East European Studies at Warsaw University in Poland.
Johnson was considered a specialist on World War II correspondent and IU alumnus Ernie Pyle, as well as Russian and East European area mass media and Czech and Slovak history. He was author of “At Home with Ernie Pyle.”
Johnson retired from IU in 2014.