Wm. A.
MULLIGAN Ph.D.
A Web site for students and friends of journalism
© 2010 William A. Mulligan, Ph.D. All rights reserved.
Professor of Journalism, former department chairman
California State University, Long Beach
Roger Wetherington 3
Roger V.
Wetherington Jr., Ph.D.
1942-2009
Roger V.
Wetherington Jr., Ph.D.
1942-2009
Former-CSULB
students remember
their teacher, adviser
I remember Roger fondly for the invaluable advice he gave, particularly in the beat reporting class (i.e. to get the stories in early in the semester instead of waiting till the last weeks, which at the time I’d thought was funny, seeing how his office was always piled with papers and he seemed behind on his work), and for the candy bars and coffee on which he subsisted.
He was a great editor and a wonderful teacher who always made time for his students.
Roger was a great teacher long after my graduation. I wrote him a letter to ask him a math question. It was something he’d taught us about percentages, but I couldn’t find my old class notes.
He typed up a neat, one-page explanation of how to solve the problem. That crisp page is still in the back of my stylebook, nearly 20 years later, and I still use it.
I thought the world of Roger. He was both a friend and a mentor. He produced so many talented journalists who went on to successful careers in my era.
There are so many stories to share, but my favorite is probably the time when we started drinking beer in the Forty-Niner newsroom on Friday afternoons.
We all worked really hard and were ready for a break by Fridays. Roger was a worrywart. He kept seeing his tenure pass before his eyes as soon as a dean caught sight of a Coors can.
So Roger tolerated us and kept his distance when it came to beer — and kept his can in a plastic sleeve that made it look like Mountain Dew.
First of all, to me, he was a very unassuming man. He always had a little look of dishevelment about him. In other words, he looked like a newspaper journalist.
As I got to know him, I remember how he constantly talked about the cultural desert that was Los Angeles, and how in New York City there was always an opera to attend. As a native Southern Californian I was a little put off by this, but as a lover of the arts, I knew deep down he was right.
As a journalism student at Long Beach State, I always appreciated the unpretentious side of the department, at least on the newspaper option side. We addressed all faculty by their first name. I'm sure that didn't happen in the Engineering school or in any of the science departments.
In the days when Roger was a “lecturer” and had that tiny office at the end of the hallway outside the newsroom, he taught the beginning news writing class, required by students in all the journalism options.
A great illustration of the difference between the newspaper students and those in public relations was this comment Roger once made to me.
“I love the PR students in my class. They all call me ‘professor.’” Roger didn’t need to demand students use a courtesy title to gain my respect.
I mostly valued his openness and always being approachable. I think this is an essential trait for a true educator, and Roger had this threefold. He had a vault full of journalism knowledge that was wide open to any student looking to learn. I will always be grateful for that. Wherever Roger is now, there better be an opera, or he'll be p - - - - d.
students remember
their teacher, adviser
Lee Rogers
Copy editor
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
I remember Roger fondly for the invaluable advice he gave, particularly in the beat reporting class (i.e. to get the stories in early in the semester instead of waiting till the last weeks, which at the time I’d thought was funny, seeing how his office was always piled with papers and he seemed behind on his work), and for the candy bars and coffee on which he subsisted.
He was a great editor and a wonderful teacher who always made time for his students.
Rachel Dunn
Copy editor
Los Angeles Times
1990 graduate
Copy editor
Los Angeles Times
1990 graduate
Roger was a great teacher long after my graduation. I wrote him a letter to ask him a math question. It was something he’d taught us about percentages, but I couldn’t find my old class notes.
He typed up a neat, one-page explanation of how to solve the problem. That crisp page is still in the back of my stylebook, nearly 20 years later, and I still use it.
Chris Woodyard
Reporter, Money section
USA Today
Los Angeles
I thought the world of Roger. He was both a friend and a mentor. He produced so many talented journalists who went on to successful careers in my era.
There are so many stories to share, but my favorite is probably the time when we started drinking beer in the Forty-Niner newsroom on Friday afternoons.
We all worked really hard and were ready for a break by Fridays. Roger was a worrywart. He kept seeing his tenure pass before his eyes as soon as a dean caught sight of a Coors can.
So Roger tolerated us and kept his distance when it came to beer — and kept his can in a plastic sleeve that made it look like Mountain Dew.
Michael Cicchese
Communications consultant
Communications consultant
First of all, to me, he was a very unassuming man. He always had a little look of dishevelment about him. In other words, he looked like a newspaper journalist.
As I got to know him, I remember how he constantly talked about the cultural desert that was Los Angeles, and how in New York City there was always an opera to attend. As a native Southern Californian I was a little put off by this, but as a lover of the arts, I knew deep down he was right.
As a journalism student at Long Beach State, I always appreciated the unpretentious side of the department, at least on the newspaper option side. We addressed all faculty by their first name. I'm sure that didn't happen in the Engineering school or in any of the science departments.
In the days when Roger was a “lecturer” and had that tiny office at the end of the hallway outside the newsroom, he taught the beginning news writing class, required by students in all the journalism options.
A great illustration of the difference between the newspaper students and those in public relations was this comment Roger once made to me.
“I love the PR students in my class. They all call me ‘professor.’” Roger didn’t need to demand students use a courtesy title to gain my respect.
I mostly valued his openness and always being approachable. I think this is an essential trait for a true educator, and Roger had this threefold. He had a vault full of journalism knowledge that was wide open to any student looking to learn. I will always be grateful for that. Wherever Roger is now, there better be an opera, or he'll be p - - - - d.
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Roger always seemed amused and a bit perplexed about life in Southern California. He wondered how he ended up so far away from New York, and this fact was driven home to him when he listened to the Metropolitan Opera every Sunday on the radio.
He loved the Nugget — the on-campus beer bar -- and the notion he could have a beer during the lunch hour without leaving campus, but he also wondered what kind of message it was sending to make beer so available to students.
He also enjoyed the give and take we had about issues on campus, and how we reported on them in the Forty-Niner. Roger cringed when we published an unflattering photo of CSULB President Steven Horn, but he was proud of the tough reporting we did on the administration and campus issues.
There were a lot of great students working on the Daily Forty Niner during that time who went on to jobs with big newspapers — me [managing editor, Orange County Register], Joel Sappell [reporter, assistant managing editor, Los Angeles Times], Chris Woodyard [reporter, Los Angeles Times and USA Today], Cathy Decker [reporter, Los Angeles Times], Sara Terry [photojournalist, Christian Science Monitor], Amy Martinez Starke [obituary editor, The Oregonian], Steve Mitchell [metro editor, Los Angeles Times], to just name a few.
Roger was always proud of us and the work we did when he was the Forty Niner adviser, and he took pride in what we did after graduation, too.
I personally loved Roger's dry wit and observations on life.
One of my fondest memories is going to a college journalism conference at Chico State with Roger, his wife and young son, and Steve Mitchell.
We spent a number of hours talking journalism, and having a drink or two, in the hotel bar. Roger was in his element and seemed to revel in it.
If there is one thing I regret it is that I have not talked to Roger in many years, although I have thought of him often.
In my mind, he was the quintessential college newspaper adviser: encouraging, challenging, reflective, funny, philosophical, and thoughtful.
He made all of us who knew him better journalists and people. I will miss him terribly.
PULITZER PRIZE WINNER John Hollon was editor of the Daily Forty-Niner during News-Editorial Adviser Roger Wetherington's first period at Cal State Long Beach. After graduation, he was managing editor of the Orange County Register. At the time of this photo, 1997, Hollon was an editor at Fancy Publications. Photo: 49er History Update, Project 49er 2008 / Daily Forty-Niner photo by John Kennedy
Roger V. Wetherington Jr., Ph.D.
Photo: 49er Publications Manual,
A Reflection on 50 Years, 2001
x
I just learned of Roger's passing and I want to send my sympathies to the Daily Forty-Niner staff and family. In case you [William Mulligan] don’t remember me, I was the first Photojournalism student to attend CSULB from the U.S. Coast Guard back in 1988-89.
Even though Wayne [Kelly] was instrumental in my time there at the Forty-Niner from the photography side, Roger had an equally big impact on me from the writing side.
He was an amazing person and an even more amazing teacher. He pushed me to expand my writing to arenas in which I was never previously exposed. He will be missed. My sincerest condolences.
Jeff Mitchell
Editor in chief
Daily Forty-Niner, spring 1988
Sadly, the CSULB journalism family has lost another great one. We fondly remember Ben Cunningham’s great contributions and now we must sadly accept the passing of Roger Wetherington.
Roger was a great teacher and a fin man who truly cared about his students — his kids. Roger had this wonderful way of gently giving you the business when you a made a mistake.
While we always took our roles in putting out the Forty-Niner seriously, Roger understood that the paper was first and foremost a teaching laboratory.
Like many on the Long Beach J-department faculty and staff, Roger was always there to explain what you did wrong and how you could fix it and most importantly how to NEVER DO IT AGAIN!
He would then help pick you up, dust you off and send you on your way. Roger loved journalism in every way. He was a great teacher, coach and mentor. We'll miss him terribly.
I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Roger Wetherington and have fond memories of his time at Cal State Long Beach.
When Roger took over as adviser to the Daily Forty Niner in the fall of 1976 (I think), it was a five-day-a-week newspaper and I was the Managing Editor (Tim Burt was the editor). I later became the editor during the spring of 1977.
Chuck Kalnbach
Instructor, Leadership
and Communications
Lundquist College of Business
University of Oregon
Instructor, Leadership
and Communications
Lundquist College of Business
University of Oregon
I just learned of Roger's passing and I want to send my sympathies to the Daily Forty-Niner staff and family. In case you [William Mulligan] don’t remember me, I was the first Photojournalism student to attend CSULB from the U.S. Coast Guard back in 1988-89.
Even though Wayne [Kelly] was instrumental in my time there at the Forty-Niner from the photography side, Roger had an equally big impact on me from the writing side.
He was an amazing person and an even more amazing teacher. He pushed me to expand my writing to arenas in which I was never previously exposed. He will be missed. My sincerest condolences.
JEFF MITCHELL was
editor of the Daily Forty-Niner during News-Editorial Adviser Roger
Wetherington's second period at Cal State Long Beach. After graduation,
he was a city editor with the North (San Diego) County Times, a 90,000-circulation daily newspaper based in Escondido. Photo: Daily Forty-Niner
Jeff Mitchell
Editor in chief
Daily Forty-Niner, spring 1988
Sadly, the CSULB journalism family has lost another great one. We fondly remember Ben Cunningham’s great contributions and now we must sadly accept the passing of Roger Wetherington.
Roger was a great teacher and a fin man who truly cared about his students — his kids. Roger had this wonderful way of gently giving you the business when you a made a mistake.
While we always took our roles in putting out the Forty-Niner seriously, Roger understood that the paper was first and foremost a teaching laboratory.
Like many on the Long Beach J-department faculty and staff, Roger was always there to explain what you did wrong and how you could fix it and most importantly how to NEVER DO IT AGAIN!
He would then help pick you up, dust you off and send you on your way. Roger loved journalism in every way. He was a great teacher, coach and mentor. We'll miss him terribly.
John Hollon
Editor
Workforce Management
A Crain Communications publication
Editor
Workforce Management
A Crain Communications publication
I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Roger Wetherington and have fond memories of his time at Cal State Long Beach.
When Roger took over as adviser to the Daily Forty Niner in the fall of 1976 (I think), it was a five-day-a-week newspaper and I was the Managing Editor (Tim Burt was the editor). I later became the editor during the spring of 1977.
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If you have memories of Daily Forty-Niner adviser Roger V. Wetherington Jr., Ph.D., that you would like to share, please send them to William Mulligan. Thank you.
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