Father of Communication Dept. retires

By Cara Latham

A retirement party for Dr. Howard Schwartz, who helped found the Communication Department in September of 1970, was held Friday, Dec. 2. Former and current faculty joined alumni in the atrium of the Student Recreation Center (SRC) to celebrate his achievements.

The event highlighted the career of Schwartz, who served as chairman of his department for 35 years before retiring in June. He returned to teach part-time this fall before fully enjoying his time off.

“Thirty-seven years have come and gone rather quickly, but the friendships which I made at Rider will stay with me forever,” he said.

Rider has offered journalism courses since the 1930s, and when Schwartz came, one full-time faculty member, Professor Willard Lally, was teaching journalism in the English Department. Schwartz came to teach speech, which he combined with journalism to create the new department.

Now, there are 12 full-time faculty members, 15 adjuncts, two majors and six specific tracks offered to students within the Communication Department, one of the largest in the University.

“I hired every single person in the department,” said Schwartz. “Today, the Communication Department is one of the most successful and biggest departments [at Rider].”

Lally, who began his career as a journalism professor in 1955, worked with Schwartz until he retired and moved to Florida in 1985.

“He was very, very understanding of what was required in a journalism department and what was required in the speech department, and we merged the ideas, and the department grew and grew,” Lally said. “Dr. Schwartz was a fine leader and a nice man to work with. I enjoyed the years I spent with him from 1968 to 1985.”

Schwartz worked previously as a debate coach at New York University from 1960 to 1961. From 1965 to 1968, he taught at the University of Maryland. He was a teaching assistant at Purdue University in Indiana, which is also where he earned his Ph.D. in 1965. It is also where he met his wife, Harriett Schwartz, an adjunct assistant professor who teaches speech in the Communication Department. The couple has been married for 42 years, with twin daughters and two granddaughters.

During his time as chairperson, Schwartz was also heavily involved with the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), which he said was very important to him.

“I was very focused on the EOP program,” he said. “That was one of my great loves. It gave me the opportunity to help financially disadvantaged students.”
Dr. Marvin Goldstein, associate professor of psychology and close friend of Schwartz’s, said that his commitment was very beneficial to the EOP.

“I know personally that he’s helped out many students with things like getting textbooks,” said Goldstein, who said Schwartz made tremendous contributions.
Goldstein and Schwartz arrived at Rider at the same time and actually lived in the same apartment complex. Goldstein said that Schwartz was very knowledgeable about academic life and was involved in all facets of the community.

“He’s a great guy,” he said. “A lot of credit goes to his leadership. He keeps people working and content. It’s very important [because the department chair] sets the tone for the department.”

After retiring, Schwartz said he would miss his colleagues the most.
“I don’t think I would have lasted this long if it wasn’t for them,” he said.