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| The first thing that strikes you ... |
... as you walk in the front door of the Reynolds School of Journalism, is the vastness of space. Yes, that three-story atrium was intentionally designed as a metaphor for openness in communication.
“The atrium was a hard thing to get done with a public building,” said former UNR president Joe Crowley. “What you see is that the place was built for people to talk to each other.”
The building design symbolizes what the RSJ faculty seeks in journalism education—expansion. It’s a theory applied to all our spaces, from the high-tech Alfred Higginbotham auditorium on the first floor to the Rollan Melton conference room on the third, with a built-in circle of seating modeled after a similar room at the American Press Institute headquarters in Reston, Virginia.
In the 1980s, journalism students learned their craft in a space shared with humanities students in the Mack Social Science building. In 1986, the university received an offer of $2.5 million in matching funds from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation to finance a building for the journalism school. During the three-year challenge grant period, the school raised more than $500,000 from alumni, friends and foundations, including $250,000 from the Gannett Foundation, $100,000 from the Ted Scripps family and $100,000 from the Walter Annenberg Foundation, honoring Nevada Senator Paul Laxalt.
In June 1989, the Nevada legislature approved $2.1 million to complete the match of the Reynolds’ challenge.
Journalism school dean Travis Linn worked closely with Reno architect Jeff Lundahl on plans for the new building. Lundahl’s firm has created several notable public buildings in Nevada, including Mendive and Billinghurst middle schools and the Washoe County Administration.
The design of the building became a pet project for Linn. While the ideas and opinions of faculty members and administrators were solicited, with Linn rested much of the final say on plans. Without Linn, most agree, the building would not have been what it is today.
“It would have been a camel,” said Crowley in a memorial publication for Linn, who died in 2003. Crowley recalled the former dean’s enthusiasm for the task.
“He sensed a pretty rich history here and a possibility that it could be captured in the way the building was designed,” Crowley said.
Lundahl said that Linn was driven by “intensity of purpose” as the two embarked on a whirlwind tour of journalism schools across the nation.
“He’d heard that the school of journalism at Syracuse University was worth looking at,” Lundahl said, “and he wanted to see one in Tampa.”
In three days, the pair visited 14 or 15 schools. They came back to Reno full of plans and ideas for designing classroom space, TV studios, radio labs and multi-media computer centers.
In April 1991, ground was broken and the 36,500 square foot building was ready for students in 1992. State-of-the-art equipment was installed in writing and graphics labs.
Crowley called the journalism building his second favorite on campus—after the historic Morrill Hall. Now an adjunct professor, Crowley’s office is on the first floor.
Of the many building projects he’s worked on, Lundahl said the journalism school was one of his favorites. He especially enjoyed working with Linn.
“He put his heart and soul into it,” Lundahl said. “It was a great experience for us. He was a great man and the university was the beneficiary of all of his work.” |
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