“When I think about Jan and her family’s contribution to the department, I think of them as having given the department a new heart for a new century.”
- Jacqueline Sharkey, head of the Department of Journalism
Above: Jan Harelson and her son Matt Harelson. Photo by Christine Scheer.
Creating a LegacyHarelson Family Members Honor the Late Hugh Harelson Through Their Generosity to the Department of Journalism.
Following journalist Hugh Harelson’s death in 1998 at age 67, the Arizona Daily Star wrote: “One of (Arizona’s) most humane, respected, most valuable citizens…It is hard to think of Hugh Harelson without becoming aware of the possibilities of people to be decent, committed, accomplished.”
One of Hugh’s accomplishments didn’t happen until after his death.
“Shortly before Hugh died, he was thinking of things he had planned to do, and thought he had years to do, and now he was down to days,” says Jan, his wife. “He said he wanted to give money to the journalism department.”
During his life, Hugh was very involved with the UA journalism department. Jan knew that Hugh wanted the department to stay on top of modern technology, so she helped fund the department’s first Internet-ready computer lab.
Friends and community members were part of that effort. “We took the wonderful gifts that had come into a memorial for Hugh, which turned out to be a hefty amount of money,” says Jan. “There were some large gifts, but there were also gifts of $10 and $15 from all over the state. Gifts from people who had never met him, but had admired him.”
The creation of the Hugh Harelson Reporting Laboratory could not have come at a better time. A technological revolution was occurring in the field of journalism. The Harelson lab set the standard for the future development of the department’s instructional computing infrastructure.
The Harelson lab holds 20 computer stations and an instructor’s station, and offers full interactivity as well as high-speed Internet access. This laboratory is used to teach skills courses offered by the department and to create the newspapers El Independiente and the Tombstone Epitaph.
“When I think about Jan and her family’s contribution to the department, I think of them as having given the department a new heart for a new century,” says Jacqueline Sharkey, head of the Department of Journalism. “It was a harbinger of the future direction of the department in terms of its curriculum and instruction. It was also a tremendous inspiration to other alumni on the power of gift-giving.”
A Portrait of a Man
A portrait of Hugh hangs in the laboratory. Underneath it is a plaque describing Hugh as a “reporter, editor, news director, graduate and loyal friend of the UA, a man of ethics and integrity, a gentleman.”
Indeed, listening to stories about Hugh, one has the impression that he was, above all else, a gentleman: a man who was kind, tough when he needed to be, and unfailingly ethical. He was a terrific role model for today’s youth or tomorrow’s journalists.
Hugh received his bachelor’s degree in journalism at the UA in 1952. He was the editor-in-chief of the Arizona Daily Wildcat in 1951. Hugh began his journalism career at the Bisbee Daily Review in 1955, then moved to The Arizona Republic, where he was a reporter, sports editor and city editor in the 1950s and ‘60s. Hugh was also news director of KPNX-TV in Phoenix, and director of UA public relations.
Hugh’s commitment to the field of journalism was an integral part of who he was.
“When he would travel, he would get off the bus or train or plane, and — this was true all his life — he would get the local newspaper and read it,” says Jan.
One of Hugh’s gifts was his ability to solve problems.
“No matter where Hugh was, they put him into places where there was turmoil — it could be financial turmoil, relationship turmoil, quality of product turmoil — and he just set things right, and he would do it with grace and skill and always wit,” recalls Jan. “One year a friend gave him a plastic fireman’s hat for his birthday because that was what he was always doing, putting out a fire in one job or another.”
In 1982, Hugh was chosen by former Gov. Bruce Babbitt to run Arizona Highways magazine, which was suffering from declining circulation. Within a year, Hugh had turned the magazine around and created new revenue by introducing Arizona Highways videos, travel books and souvenirs.
Wynn Holden, a colleague of Hugh’s from Arizona Highways, wrote, “Hugh Harelson brought to any situation, challenge or simple conversation an insightful mind, compassionate style, a remarkable wit and a paternal approach that encouraged the best in others to blossom. He was usually gentle, occasionally forceful, but always gracious. He was famous for running as far and fast as possible from technology, but he was equally renowned for never shunning a tough problem or turning away from a friend in need.”
It’s a bit ironic that a technology lab is named after a man who avoided technology. But according to Jan and her son Matt, once Hugh recognized the importance of technology, he embraced it.
“He totally skipped the electric typewriter era,” says Jan. “He just had a Royal standard typewriter that he had in a black case. That typewriter was heavy and it went every place we went.”
After he began work at Arizona Highways, Hugh abandoned his allegiance to his sturdy typewriter and moved to computers. Hugh realized that modern technology was key to the success of the magazine.
“He sat up at night — and, I’m sure during the day at work — and read everything he could get his hands on about computers and technology. He trained himself,” says Jan.
Hugh had a journalist’s long hours but always made time to spend with his family. When his sons, Scott and Matt, were young, he worked at a morning newspaper, which meant he had to work nights. He always came home for dinner and to play with his sons. He then returned to work, and sometimes didn’t arrive home until 3 a.m.
Scott followed in his dad’s footsteps, becoming a journalist. He is now a media representative for the Salt River Project in Phoenix. Matt, president of Capstone Headwear, says his dad instilled in him a strong work ethic and the importance of excellent writing skills.
“In school, I would ask him to read something I had written, because I knew what a great writer he was. Invariably, it would come back to me with red ink all over the piece of paper, and I would be frustrated and a bit sensitive. But over the course of the years, it helped me become a better writer,” Matt says. “Now I’m a father — I’ve got three girls — and the oldest one in middle school is already frustrated with the red pen.”
The “red pen” is just a small example of Hugh’s influence on his family.
“It’s hard to believe he’s been gone for 10 years,” says Matt. “He has an impact on our lives on a daily basis and on my children’s lives.”
Planning for the Future
Hugh’s impact on future generations will extend to budding journalists, thanks to the continued generosity of his family. Jan, her sons, their spouses and Matt’s in-laws, Bernard and Judy Briskin, have continued to donate to the department in Hugh’s name. They established the Hugh and Jan Harelson Excellence-in-Teaching Award. Jan, a former school teacher, is a key member of the department’s external advisory council.
The Harelson family now has established an endowment so there will be a funding stream for the lab in perpetuity. The funds will be used to update the computers and software on a regular basis. One immediate goal is to update the visual technology so students can gain more experience with multiple media platforms.
“My wife, Julie, and I felt that it was important to build an endowment that will support the future needs of the lab,” says Matt.
“I’ve had the good fortune to have had success in my career and a lot of that I owe to how I was raised by my parents,” adds Matt. “On top of that, my family and my wife’s family have always been incredibly philanthropic and have taught me the importance of giving back with one’s time and, when possible, with money. So it was really kind of a natural step for us to start this endowment in honor of my father and his relationship with the University.”
It is heartening to know that journalism students who see the portrait of Hugh in the Harelson lab are being touched by his generosity and are part of his legacy.
“Thousands of students have been trained in that laboratory,” says Jacqueline Sharkey. “I keep thinking of how pleased Hugh must be at the way in which that laboratory has enabled the department to train the next generation of journalists the way he knew and strongly believed that they should be trained.”
For more information, contact Lori Harwood at 520-626-3846 • Editor