Don R. Pember

   Don R. Pember was a man with strong opinions.  Many of these opinions were about the media, his professional area of expertise.  The man who started his journalism career writing obituaries would definitely say this is not a “real” obituary because it was not written by a reporter at a newspaper.  And if he saw this running in The Seattle Times, he would have scoffed and said, “Do you know how much this cost?!?”

   Don was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Madelyn (Becherer) and H. Ward Pember, a big band trombonist and accountant.  He made his first appearance in The Detroit News in 1941 as a new member of the “Toddlers Club.”  After his mother died in 1947, Don moved around quite a bit, until he and his father joined stepmother Cecile (Dumas) in Farmington, Michigan (not the fancy part he would say). He thrived in high school, where he started his journalism career with the school’s newspaper, represented his school at Boys State, and became student body president his senior year.

   He matriculated at Michigan State University, where he majored in journalism and graduated in 1961.  A highlight of his experience working on the school paper was getting to follow John F Kennedy on the campaign trail around Michigan and spending an hour talking with JFK when he was delayed by airplane repairs.

   While at Michigan State, he interned at the Birmingham Eccentric, he learned to cover a lot of different beats, including covering the society page for a co-worker who was on leave. He often talked about writing that society column and how it was such a challenge for him as a young man. He also took photos for his stories, which led to his lifelong love of photography. 

   Don was recruited by the Wall Street Journal before graduation, but they told him they couldn’t hire him when they found he was A1 draft status.  He decided to get ahead of the potential employment blocker by enlisting in the Army, where he graduated from active duty training with Honors at Fort Bliss, Texas.  Don had very fond memories of his time in the service in both Kentucky and Texas. and considered that time one of the most valuable in his life.  He continued his military service with the National Guard until he was honorably discharged in 1966. 

   After leaving active duty, Don was the editor at the Williamston Enterprise in Michigan.  His experience at the Williamston Enterprise was especially meaningful as he worked for Ben Kuroki, a World War II hero and subject of the PBS documentary Most Honorable Son.  In the last editions of Don’s Mass Media Law book, he dedicated it to, “Ben Kuroki, a feisty newspaper publisher who taught me what a newspaper was supposed to do.”

   In March 1964, he met Diann Newman at popular Michigan State hangout Coral Gables.  He proposed Memorial Day weekend that same year and they were married at the MSU Alumni Memorial Chapel on September 25, 1964. 

   Don continued his work in journalism as a reporter for The Pontiac Press, but in 1965 decided to pursue teaching and returned to Michigan State for his master’s degree. He then went on to receive his Ph.D in 1969 from the University of Wisconsin.  He moved to Seattle with Diann that year to join the faculty at the University of Washington’s Communications Department and taught there until his retirement in 2003.  In 1973, he became the first Communications faculty member to receive the UW’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Two years later he was recognized for excellence in teaching by the Carnegie Foundation.  During his tenure at the UW, he was also Director of the Communications Department but stepped down after a short time as he realized he would rather teach than be an administrator.

   His area of expertise was mass media, privacy and the press and the First Amendment.  In addition to teaching, he also wrote two textbooks, Mass Media in America and Mass Media Law (previously known as Privacy and the Press).  The latter book was first published in 1977 and was the best-selling textbook in its subject area.  Don’s co-author, Clay Calvert, has assumed the writing of Mass Media Law along with two other writers and it is now in its 22nd edition. Clay says they still refer to it as “the Pember book.”

   Don once estimated that he was able to reach over a million students through his textbooks and teaching. He loved teaching and he loved his students. 

"The students are the thing that makes it all worthwhile,” he once said. “A university is not the perfect place to work. If it weren't for the students, this place would be far less interesting."

   He was often cited by students as one of the best teachers at the university, including in the 1990 Lisa Birnbach bestseller, New and Improved College Book.

   “Don is the most knowledgeable and generous colleague any of us could ask for,” Mike Henderson, former colleague and friend told the UW News Lab.  “Not just a few, but quite a few, students have told me he’s the best teacher they ever had.”

   “I know it’s become kind of a cliché to talk about how good a teacher he was, but the truth is that was one of the most significant classes I ever had,” former student John Keister said recently. “There was a real sense in that class that we were being treated like adults ready to take up jobs in the industry and we needed to know the right way to do it.”

   Don was respected for being a great teacher, but also for being a rigorous educator. He would tell students “I'm going to give you my best for 10 weeks and I expect the best from you.”

   “He made the law come alive. We also respected him because he demanded so much of us – his exams were never easy,” former student, colleague and friend Jerry Baldasty told the UW News Lab in 1983. “I still see students nervously reviewing their notes just before a Pember exam.” 

   One of things Don enjoyed the most was mentoring students and seeing them flourish.  He also liked to instill in them that work is not everything and that life is about balance.

   “Don was an amazing mentor in the area of mass communication law – one of the great thinkers and most thoughtful commentators on the subject, actually – but we spent most of our time talking about baseball,” wrote Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, Don’s last Ph.D. student, in 2006. “That’s what I learned most from Don.  Balance. Don doesn’t spend 14 hours a day at school. He never has. Don has a life – a wonderful wife, two great kids, baseball. He showed me that a scholar can have a life in academia and a life outside it.”

   He was an active member in the Richmond Beach community, where he lived with Diann and his two kids, Alison and Brian, for 55 years. Don also spent a great deal of time in the University District, often bringing the family along after taking the kids to work. The University Bookstore, Pagliacci’s and the Ave Arcade were favorites. 

   Don always prioritized his family above all else.  He was a very involved father in all aspects of his kids’ lives and provided them with an incredible foundation for their lives. Don volunteered at the YMCA both with Alison’s YBA basketball team and Brian’s Y Guides and was recognized by the YMCA for his leadership in 1983.  Brian has fond memories of times at Camp Orkila with Don for Y Guides and remembers being there together when Mt. St. Helens erupted.

   The Pember house was never short of furry friends.  Don’s lifelong love of fuzzy buddies started in his childhood with dogs Rocky and Kim and continued with dogs Tinker, Cooper and Marvin and cats Whizzer, Jasmin and Kasey. He once said that the only thing the internet was good for was videos of cute animals.

   When Don was growing up, his dream was to be able to see a movie every day.  With the advent of the VCR, his dream came true.  He watched a movie nearly every evening and was such as avid movie renter that the local Blockbuster allowed him to come in ten minutes before opening on new release day. He also often took his family to the movies in the theater.  This led to waiting in long lines in the 70s for movies like Star Wars and with the dawn of the multiplex, the Pembers were sometimes the only audience members for lesser known flicks like Buckaroo Banzai.  

   One of Don’s little pleasures in retirement was grocery shopping. For him, it was a lot like Cheers, “where everybody knows your name.” 

   As an enthusiastic fan of Dennis Smith’s book, Report From Engine Co. 82, Don enjoyed visiting the NYC Fire Museum and wearing the FDNY cap he bought there. Sadly, he had to put the hat away because too many strangers said, “Thank you for your service,” to him.

   Don passed away on June 22, 2024 at age 84 of complications from dementia.  He is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, Diann; daughter, Alison (Jason Hansen); son, Brian; and two Pomeranians, Herbie and Quincy, who knew him as GrandPaw (and holder of treats).

   In Don’s last book dedication, he recognized the importance of his life with Diann by writing, “And finally, and most importantly, I want to thank my wife, Diann, for helping me get through the past 50 years of my life.  Couldn’t have made it without her.”

   Don strongly disliked funerals and social gatherings in general, so his family will celebrate his life in a private ceremony.

   “I asked Don how we might honor him at his retirement,” Jerry Baldasty wrote in 2007. “He emphatically rejected the idea of a party or public recognition, but he volunteered that he would welcome the creation of a UW scholarship for journalism students.  Don has always cared greatly about providing educational opportunities for students from modest economic backgrounds.”

The family suggests memorial donations to the Don Pember Journalism Endowed Fund in Don’s memory at this link. Any stories or memories you would like to share are more than welcome and can be sent to [email protected].