James L. Rogers, UNT historian, dies at age 80

[NT80]

UNT historian dies at age 80

12:01 AM CST on Tuesday, November 28, 2006

By Matthew Zabel / Staff Writer

Dr. James L. Rogers, a retired professor and vice president at the University of North Texas, and the author of the most comprehensive book about UNT’s history, died Sunday in Conroe.

He was 80.

Rogers spent 43 years at UNT from 1953 to 1996, including six years as vice president for administrative affairs from 1965 to 1971 and seven years as the university’s planning director from 1971 to 1978. He also taught journalism classes and served as the university’s public relations director.

Rogers also wrote The Story of North Texas, publishing a first edition in 1965 and an updated edition in 2002.

The second edition’s 736 pages chronicle the university’s history beginning with the forming of the Texas Normal College in 1890 through the inauguration of Norval Pohl as the 14th president in 2001.

“Talk about a guy who was truly dedicated to the university, he certainly ranks up there,” said Dr. Alfred Hurley, former UNT chancellor.

Rogers joined the journalism faculty at what was North Texas State College in 1953.

He also served as the college’s public relations director as the university went through integration in the 1950s and 1960s.

In a 1980 interview for UNT’s copyrighted oral history project, Rogers discussed then-President J.C. Matthews’ desire to downplay the enrollment of the university’s first black undergraduate student, Irma Cephas, in 1956.

At the same time, students in Alabama were throwing rocks at a black student when she arrived on campus to enroll.

Rogers is quoted in that project saying that Matthews feared that if it became public that a black student enrolled at North Texas without violent protests, then violence would soon follow.

Keith Shelton, a retired journalism professor at UNT, said that Rogers had a difficult job at a difficult time at UNT and that he “played an integral part of the university’s history.”

Shelton recalled some of Rogers’ lighter moments, too. For example, as the university’s public relations director, Rogers assigned Bill Moyers, then his student assistant, to interview a student musician named Pat Boone, Shelton said.

Coincidentally, both Moyers and Boone became well-known in their fields — Moyers as a television journalist and Boone as a recording artist.

Reg Westmoreland, a retired journalism professor at UNT, recalled an incident when Rogers was in charge of the press box at UNT football games. Rogers instructed his student assistant there not to allow anyone into the box without a press pass. Following orders, that student would not allow Matthews in because he did not have the proper pass.

“When Jim finally got there to straighten it out, he told President Matthews, ‘We run a tight ship up here,’” Westmoreland said.

After his stint as an administrator, Rogers returned to the journalism classroom full time and brought cutting-edge technology into that department.

Rogers’ former colleagues praised him for thinking ahead and bringing computer technology to UNT’s journalism program and teaching some of the first versions of newspaper layout software.

“He saw the future was in technology and computers, and before most departments in the country were using computers, he was teaching them at UNT,” said Dr. Richard Wells, a UNT journalism professor.

Wells said Rogers influenced thousands of students in the journalism department alone, and thousands more in the rest of the university.

“Rogers helped shape and had more influence on this university than anyone who was not a president,” Wells said.

Arrangements are pending with Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home in Huntsville.

[FirefightnRick]

God Bless Dr. Rogers.

Rick

[shaneb]

A terrible loss for the journalism department and the university.

[SilverEagle]

I have a copy of the 1965 edition of "The Story of North Texas", and use it as reference from time to time.

[rcade]

Sorry to hear of his passing. I had the chance to take courses from Rogers in the late '80s and may have been one of the first students who got a chance to take advantage of that layout software he introduced. He was a walking history lesson about North Texas and had a huge amount of pride in the school.

[PlummMeanGreen]

A terrible loss for the journalism department and the university.

←

Agree, shaneb...BTW, welcome back to this forum.

Have read everything that Dr. Roger's has written about UNT.

In fact, it was thru Dr. Rogers that I learned of my own family's small chapter of Texas history which played a part in UNT's Texas Centennial celebration (1936). This was when NT alum Julia Smith (who composed our school song) premiered an opera she composed called "Cynthia Ann Parker." It made its "world premier" at the old Main Auditorium before many Texas dignitaries as I recall Dr. Rogers telling me and I believe that included the (then) Texas governor.

I visited Willis Library years ago in an attempt to view the original manuscripts or sheet music on Dr. Smith's opera of C. A. Parker, but the University of Texas (Austin) School of Music had checked all of it out for their symphony orchestra's usage in one of their musical programs down in Austin. (Gosh darn those Longhorns)!

Shaneb, I know you would have had some interest in all this from the Quanah Parker side of the story since (as I believe you emailed me long ago) you are related to the last great chief of the Commanches.

But I'll also quote FFR: God Bless Dr. Rogers.................and his family who grieves his parting.

Edited November 28, 2006 by PlummMeanGreen

[CMJ]

I have the 2002 edition of his book. Quite impressively done. Truly a loss to the NT community.

[GreenBat]

I am one of those who was lucky enought to have Dr. Rogers as an instructor. He was a fine teacher and a good man. He will be missed.

[UNT_playmaker]

My girlfriend received his $1,000 annual gift from the Public relations department as being the PR student of the year in her field last year....

Spent alot of time with UNT, sad loss...

Edited November 28, 2006 by UNT_playmaker