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Retired journalism professor Howard Price, seen here in a 1984 photograph, was found dead in his Charleston residence Friday afternoon. Price was a renowned sports fan and taught Sports and the Media at Eastern. (Submitted photo)

Longtime journalism professor Howard Price dies at 65

By: Matt Hopf / News Editor

Posted: 3/2/09

Retired journalism professor Howard Price reached many students in his more than 20 years at Eastern through his enthusiastic teaching styles and commitment to education.

Price, 65, was found dead at his Charleston residence Friday afternoon. Coles County Coroner Ed Schniers said Price died of natural causes.

James Tidwell, chair of the journalism department, said Price devoted much preparation to teaching and always received high ratings from students in his classes.

"He was very private in many ways, but he was a really committed teacher," Tidwell said.

Price continued to teach after retirement. He was teaching the senior seminar course Journalistic Media in Society this semester.

Tidwell said it was a half-semester course and was entering its final week.

Tidwell will meet the class today and said students would receive credit for the course.

Peter Voelz, professor emeritus for the journalism department and long-time friend of Price, said Price was a true professional.

"He added a lot of intellect and depth in the faculty," Voelz said. "He read books. He knew his politics and history. He was an avid follower of the news."

Price had a great sense of humor that appeared on two levels, he said.

"He was popular with his students, because they liked his fearless, cornball antics, but he also had a subtle humor where his little smile would show he got a joke nobody else did," Voelz said.

John Reed, professor emeritus for the journalism department, said he was happy when Price was hired.

"He was a really dedicated teacher and tremendous journalist," he said.

Reed said no one could get a detail past Price. "He was very enthusiastic about teaching copy editing," he said.

Price's professional career was copy editing, and he instilled a strong sense of copy editing in his students, Reed said.

Price was a big sports fan and taught Sports and the Media at Eastern. Being from New York City, Price liked the New York Mets, Reed said. "I told him I was glad we hired him anyway," he said laughing.

Tidwell said Price really enjoyed baseball. "The last few years he became a big Illinois fan," he said.

When Eastern would play the University of Illinois in baseball, Price would attend the games in Illinois attire.

Price also was a world traveler, traveling across Europe and the U.S. "He always bragged about his frequent flyer miles," Tidwell said.

When traveling, students would sometimes watch his cat. Dan Fields, an Eastern alumnus, watched over Price's cat while the professor was in Europe for a few weeks.

"He needed someone to watch his cat, give it lots of (tender loving care), and he was offering $400 and two cases of beer," Fields said. "I didn't tell him I was allergic to cats. Plus, I really needed that beer."

"Anyway, Howard returned a few weeks later. His house was still intact. His cat, still alive. The cat didn't get lots of (tender loving care), and I think Howard figured that out. He still paid me, though."

Price was able to surprise his students over the years.

"Howard could surprise you," Fields said. "Whether it was jumping up and down in class or offering cans upon cans of free beer, anything was definitely possible.

"But Howard cared about others and, all in all, he was a good person. A good person who will certainly be missed."

Price was an assistant professor in the journalism department from 1984 to 2005. He taught courses on the role of journalism and news in democracy, international journalism, relationships between sports and the media and media editing.

Prior to Eastern, Price worked as a copy editor for the Saginaw News in Saginaw, Mich., as a copy editor and reporter for the Northwest New Jersey Daily Record, as a reporter for the Daily Advance in Dover, N.J., and as a county courthouse reporter for the Pittsburg (Kansas) Daily Advance in Pittsburg, Kan.

He received his master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and a bachelor's degree in sociology from the City College of New York. Price also completed graduate work in sociology at Brooklyn College.

Funeral services for Price have not been announced.

Editor in Chief Kristina Peters contributed to this report.

Matt Hopf can be reached at 581-7942 or at mthopf@eiu.edu.