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Quoth Walraven: “Nevermore”

College of Liberal Arts senior lecturer Edward Walraven has taught over four decades of students everything he knows about journalism, from public relations to media law. But now, that chapter has come to a close, as he retired this spring. He and his wife will now pursue their new ambition of traveling as much as […]

College of Liberal Arts senior lecturer Edward Walraven has taught over four decades of students everything he knows about journalism, from public relations to media law. But now, that chapter has come to a close, as he retired this spring. He and his wife will now pursue their new ambition of traveling as much as possible, while keeping a home base in the Brazos Valley.

Walraven came to A&M in 1974 as a public relations writer, having just spent four years at the San Angelo Standard-Times.

“I didn’t really want to do PR, but it paid more than the newspaper,” Walraven said with typical candor. “So I came down here, and I liked it, and decided to stay.”

After over 10 years working in public relations and being a science writer for the university, Walraven decided that he wanted to teach. He earned his Ph.D. in 1999, and began teaching in the Journalism Department. In 2004, A&M stopped offering a degree in journalism; however, Walraven continued to teach in the University Studies Program, which offers a concentration in journalism studies.

“Journalism is a work of trust, accuracy and integrity,” Walraven said. “That applies to everything.”

Over the years, Walraven has found that his favorite part of what he does is engaging with students– whether as an advisor, as a professor, or simply as a friend and a mentor.

“I’ve gotten to know a lot of students,” he said. “We have talked about future plans, about families… If my students have all learned to think for themselves, I’ll know I’ve accomplished something.”

No matter where he travels, his character is in the stories of so many. He will be missed.