The Knight Center for Environmental Journalism has established two new endowments to help further contribute to its challenge grant goal of $800,000 by the year 2010.

“I think it is an obtainable goal. We met the challenge last year and we’re very close to making this year’s challenge,” said Danielle Casavant, former Knight Center fundraiser.

 “We certainly need all the support we can get in terms of people who understand the need for well-trained environmental journalists.”

The Caldwell and Edwardson endowments commemorate the lives of two men who gained notoriety for environmental and journalistic issues through their work.

 A former Michigan State University alumnus, the late Don Caldwell received his journalism degree from MSU in 1981.

After graduation, Caldwell participated in the Peace Corps where he taught math in Swaziland for two years. He then worked as a journalist at the Tampa Tribune from 1987 to 2002, but his admiration for the people of southern Africa led him to return to Johannesburg, South Africa.

Caldwell’s tenacious pursuit of journalism resulted in his success as a television and radio journalist in Johannesburg.

Shortly after his 32nd birthday, Caldwell was killed in a car accident. The Don Caldwell Memorial Scholarship in Environmental Journalism was established by Robert and Charlotte Caldwell, along with their sons Robert, James and Thomas, to honor Don’s memory and benefit aspiring environmental journalists.

The Edwardson endowment was created by Mickie L. Edwardson, Ph.D, a 1963 Michigan State University graduate, in honor and recognition of the late James Lawrence Fly’s many environmental contributions.
Fly worked as general solicitor and later as general counsel of the Tennessee Valley Authority from 1934 to 1939. His work helped improve the environment in seven states while gaining citizen’s attention about more abundant, inexpensive electricity.

Among his many environmental victories, Fly won two Supreme Court decisions regarding the Tennessee Valley Authority’s constitutionality and also made influential changes while working as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission from 1939 to 1944. His actions were driven by his belief that broadcasters should have different viewpoints to create an informed electorate.

Fly also provided standards for a “fairness doctrine” that focused on stations presenting opposing views. Fly’s dedication to standards of accuracy and fairness has been in practice for more than sixty years.

The Caldwell and Edwardson endowment funds will support scholarships for students, increase training and education opportunities and fund research efforts to improve the quality of environmental journalism.
“The environment is the story of this century. It’s hard to ignore when you see things like global warming affecting the world,” Casavant said. “Having well-informed, well-educated journalists helps get environmental issues out in the public eye and find solutions to these problems.”

Whitney Forsthoefel is a junior studying journalism at MSU. This is her first appearance in EJ. Contact Whitney at forsthoe@msu.edu