James Baughman taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1979 until 2016. He served as Director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication from 2003 to 2009. An exceptionally popular professor with students, he won the Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award in 2003. He looked the part of a professor, always wearing a jacket and tie to class. He smoked a pipe and liked to tell funny stories or do impressions of historical figures over a glass of scotch. He believed deeply in the power of the written word. When students or friends experienced major life challenges or traumatic events, he always encouraged them to "write about it."
