Arnold Ismach, former Dean of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, died Wednesday.
Dean from 1985 to 1994, Ismach continued teaching until 2000. Duncan McDonald is Professor Emeritus at the school, and succeeded Ismach as Dean. He says Ismach took over the School of Journalism at a challenging time and with a limited budget:
McDonald: “What Arnold did, to his great credit, was to keep building the faculty in very important ways, certainly improved its diversity, and thanks to some very good alums and donors, made the appropriate context to move us into the electronic era.”
McDonald says he inherited a Journalism School well equipped for the digital age. Ismach was active with the Society of Professional Journalists and several civic organizations. Arnold Ismach was 84.