Indiana University School of Journalism

Photo by Sarah Hutchins

At the Ernie Pyle State Historic site, students watched a multimedia presentation about Pyle’s war years.

Instead of sleeping late Saturday morning, this year’s new class of Ernie Pyle Scholars met outside the School of Journalism to board a bus bound for Ernie Pyle’s hometown of Dana, Ind.

The 24-person group, which included graduate students and professors, visited the Ernie Pyle State Historic Site where they toured two Quonset huts filled with Pyle’s personal belongings and viewed multimedia presentations about Pyle’s World War II columns. The site also features a restored house from the farm where Pyle was born.

The School of Journalism Honors Program, launched in 2006, receives applications from students around the country who wish to participate in the program’s enhanced educational opportunities. Those admitted, known as Ernie Pyle Scholars, take classes together and participate in special programs and projects at the school.

Associate professor Owen Johnson said he came up with the idea for the trip because the honors program and the building that houses the school carry the name of Ernie Pyle.

While the School of Journalism displays several of Pyle’s wartime possessions, Johnson said it was important for students to learn more about his life as a reporter and a boy growing up in small town Indiana.

“Ernie Pyle was a modest, shy individual,” Johnson said. “He grows on you slowly. I hope what they learned from him will help them understand him better.”

Freshman and Ernie Pyle Scholar Alex Farris appreciated the exhibits that allowed Pyle’s writing to be the focal point.

“My favorite part was the prominence Pyle’s articles had in the museum,” Farris said. “While some museums would put his articles on the backburner because they wouldn’t seem as stimulating as landscapes of war and interactive things, the Ernie Pyle Museum complemented most landscapes, videos and pieces of memorabilia with his articles. That was my favorite part of the museum, because that was people’s favorite part of Ernie Pyle.”

Prior to the trip, the scholars read several articles and watched a movie about Pyle, Farris said. While these articles provided background knowledge for the trip, some students like Farris and freshman Jessica Haney, an Ernie Pyle Scholar, felt the trip was not as informative as anticipated.

Photo by Sarah Hutchins

Freshmen and Ernie Pyle Scholars Courtney Miller, left, and Amanda Straight view a display depicting Pyle’s death by sniper fire.

“I got more out of the articles than out of the trip,” Haney said. “[But after the trip] I had a better understanding of the atmosphere of World War II. The movie simulations and voice acting really put character into my perception of Ernie Pyle.”

Despite the two-hour bus ride, Haney said the trip was beneficial for the honors class.

“We had this resource that was accessible so why not use it?” Haney said. “It relates very closely to our course of study and I think it’s important to understand Ernie Pyle since we are named after him. It was also a good way to get more familiar with classmates.”

Freshman Katie Fay, another Ernie Pyle Scholar, also thought the trip was worthwhile. However, her favorite part of the trip did not involve the historic site.

“My favorite part was driving back on the bus when professor Johnson read us some of Pyle’s columns,” Fay said. “We were in Dana, looking out at the fields he grew up with, listening to his words about the wind blowing through the countryside and for some reason it made me understand him more than any other thing.” 

More info?

• Read about this year’s class of Ernie Pyle Scholars
• Learn more about the Honors Program: Ernie Pyle Scholars

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