Golden anniversaries for business, journalism

The Sorrell College of Business (SCOB) and the Hall School of Journalism and Communication (HSJC) both marked 50th anniversaries in 2022 with events and celebrations throughout the year.

The College of Business celebrated its 50th with a series of panels and a celebration disco party in March. TROY began offering business education courses in the early 1930s. As additional courses were added through the years, it eventually led to the offering of a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree in 1961 and the creation of a Department of Business. The SCOB, as structured today, was founded in 1971 with Dr. Cliff Eubanks serving as the founding Dean — which at that time was called the College of Business and Commerce. In 1981, the college was named in honor of businessman Jeff Sorrell and his wife, Anise.

The Sorrell College earned AACSB accreditation in November 2018 and specialized accounting accreditation in January 2019. The School of Hospitality, Sport and Tourism Management moved into the Sorrell College in August 2020, which gave the Sorrell College its first doctoral degree, the Ph.D. in Sport Management.

The Hall School of Journalism and Communication kicked off the beginning of a year-long celebration with the unveiling of a new slogan, “Shaping ethical and trustworthy communicators.” The Troy State University Department of English began offering journalism as a minor in 1970. On Dec. 16, 1971, the Hall School of Journalism was created in a partnership between TSU President Ralph Adams and Gov. George Wallace. Distinguished author and editor John R. Chamberlain was the school’s founding Dean.

In the early 1970s, the Academic Council approved a journalism major and minor, as well as a journalism education minor. Introduction to Radio and Television was the first broadcast course offered, and TSU-TV began producing a 15-minute, student-produced news segment in 1975. The same year, Sigma Delta Chi, Society of Professional Journalists was established.

The broadcasts grew in the ’80s with more than 12 classes being offered in broadcast journalism. “Nooncast” and “TSU Nightly News” were also being produced in the TSUTV studios. The Speech Department combined with the Hall School of Journalism in 2008 to form the Hall School of Journalism and Communication. Five years later in 2013, the Master of Science in Strategic Communication, an online professional degree, was formed, and the print journalism major was changed to multimedia journalism to reflect industry changes.