Remembering an Icon:

John “Jack” Behrens

1933-2021

On July 16, 2021, the Utica College community was saddened by the passing of one its icons.

John “Jack” C. Behrens, professor emeritus of public relations and journalism, passed away at the age of 88 at his home in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Behrens arrived at Utica College in 1965, beginning as assistant professor of public relations. In 1972, he founded UC’s journalism program. He was promoted to professor of journalism in 1975. Awarded the Outstanding Faculty Award from the UC Alumni Council in 1991, Jack retired from UC in 1997 and was granted emeritus status.

As a mentor to generations of Utica College students during his tenure, Behrens and his legacy have inspired alumni to reflect on the professor’s impact on their lives and careers.

One such student: Edward Naidamast ’75, who penned this tribute shortly after learning of Behrens’ passing.

JACK BEHRENS, AS I REMEMBER HIM

By Edward Naidamast ’75

When Jack Behrens walked into his journalism classes, he always brought a broad, infectious smile and an implacable faith that all of his students could develop into writers. Not just writers, but excellent writers.

Utica College has lost an icon of journalism education and a master of the written word. I have lost a friend of more than four decades.

I was hardly a writer and barely could compose a news or feature story when Jack and I met in January 1974. I did my best to complete Jack’s numerous writing assignments—an endless stream of news stories and feature articles from which I became very familiar with Jack’s scribbles across my pages.

Jack had many such hopefuls, whose writing skills were subpar, but he had the utmost confidence in all of us and he challenged each of us to be our best.

He was demanding, but fair. All of Jack’s classes emphasized the practical over lectures, and it was common to bang out a news story on a classroom typewriter coupled with multiple weekly writing assignments.

Jack admonished his students to write, write, and then write some more. As the faculty advisor for the Tangerine, he encouraged all of his students to join the UC paper. He stressed the need to prepare for interviews, to pay attention to detail, to seek accuracy, and to ensure balance in all of our work. There was always one more question to ask, and Jack was a stickler for honesty and integrity.

Jack had an insatiable curiosity. He believed every person had a story to tell and almost any idea could morph into a feature story or a magazine article.

In addition to the constant demand of churning out news and feature stories, Jack introduced a steady stream of guest speakers, most often former students who were successful editors, reporters, freelance writers, and authors who shared their experiences in countless specialties.

Jack and I lost touch for a few years after I graduated in 1975, but we reconnected when I began a career as a Naval Flight Officer and in national security with the Defense Intelligence Agency.

I must have been Jack’s greatest disappointment. Over the years he would encourage me to write and publish articles about my career, but I rarely followed up on his suggestions. For most of my career I could not speak about my work, and anything I wrote had to be submitted for a time-consuming agency review.

Regardless, I was a Jack Behrens-trained writer, his student, and his acolyte.

Jack lived an extraordinary life. He toured America as a drummer with big bands and later drew upon his experience to publish three books on the big band swing era. Drafted into the U.S. Army, Jack was assigned to the Army 7th Infantry and then wrote for the Pacific Stars and Stripes in Japan and South Korea. His love for the written word led to his writing more than 20 books and a staggering 25,000 magazine articles.

At Utica College, Jack served as the director of the public relations and journalism programs, he established prominent scholarships to aid students, and was twice elected to serve as chairman of the Raymond Simon Institute for Public Relations. Jack also was honored with the Outstanding Faculty Award from the UC Alumni Council.

Jack Behrens presents a student with an award at the Society for Collegiate Journalists induction ceremony in 2010.

Across his teaching career, Jack never once lost sight of his objective—to teach the skill of writing to young minds.

Some years ago I called Jack to tell him how much he influenced my life. I wanted him to know my success as a U.S. Naval Officer and in the murky world of intelligence gathering and analysis was his success.

Jack was far more than my teacher. He was my friend, he was my mentor, and he was among my greatest champions. Across the years we would email each other, occasionally speak on the phone and talk about life, family, faith, character, and integrity.

As Jack approached the last years of his life, he joked that there is a lot of tarnish to the golden years. Jack was still teaching me—this time about life.

Approximately two weeks before he died, Jack’s wife, Gert, called and we managed to have a brief video chat. Jack was bedridden, but he could still smile and laugh. We shared some stories and I made sure to let him know again the tremendous impact he had upon my life. Jack’s deep faith in God and his compassion for people, especially his loved ones and his students, was quite possibly his greatest lesson.

In his final days, Gert related to me that Jack commented to her, “I can’t even die easy.” Jack had one more lesson. Despite any number of life threatening risks I experienced across almost three and a half decades, Jack was teaching me about courage.

I will miss Jack and I am eternally indebted to him for being my friend and teacher. May his memory be a blessing for the many lives he touched.

About the Author

Commander Edward Naidamast '75, USN-Ret

Commander Edward Naidamast, USN-Ret, graduated from Utica College in 1975 with a degree in public relations and pursued a dual-track 34-year career as a U.S. Naval Officer and with the Defense Intelligence Agency.

As a Naval Flight Officer, he amassed 200 carrier landings in the E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft. Recruited by DIA, CDR Naidamast worked as a senior analyst, developed elements of the President’s intelligence budget, and was Deputy Chief, U.S. Visits-Office of Congressional and Public Affairs. He continued his Navy service as a reserve officer in Naval Intelligence.

Among his awards, CDR Naidamast has been awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters and the Defense Intelligence Agency Director’s Medal for distinguished service.

Today, CDR Naidamast lives in Burke, Virginia, with his wife, Kathy. He is a passionate reader and photographer. He and Kathy enjoy traveling the world.