James L. Baughman, 1952-2016

With great sadness we report the death of long-time BHC member James Baughman, who died on March 26, 2016, of lung cancer at the age of 64. He was Fetzer-Bascom Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he taught his entire career. He also held an affiliate appointment in the University’s Department of History and was chair of the advisory board for the University’s Center for the History of Print and Digital Culture.
     An Ohio native (and great Cleveland Indians fan), Baughman received his BA in history at Harvard University in 1974. He earned his MA, M.Phil. and Ph.D. in history at Columbia.
     Baughman's scholarly work includes four books: Television’s Guardians: The Federal Communications Commission and the Politics of Programming, 1958-1967 (1985); Henry R. Luce and the Rise of the Modern American News Media (1987; rev. ed., 2001); The Republic of Mass Culture: Journalism, Filmmaking and Broadcasting in America since 1941 (1992; 3rd ed. 2006); and Same Time, Same Station: Creating American Television, 1948-1961 (2007). At the time of his death, he was working on a history of journalism and presidential politics since 1960.
     Baughman was a much-loved and highly respected teacher, as the tributes from colleagues and students attest. For a sampling, see the postings from the University of Wisconsin School of Journalism; the Milwaukee Journal- Sentinal; the Wisconsin State Journal; and comments from the many students and friends who took to Twitter to express their feelings.