Post editor's posthumous donation 'quite unusual'
By Katherine Creel

William S. "Bill" Hemingway

The CU-Boulder School of Journalism and Mass Communication is $778,778.39 richer than it was when classes started in the fall. Thanks to a generous, and unexpected, gift from the late William S. Hemingway, seven journalism students each year will receive a scholarship for $10,000.

But who was Bill Hemingway? After his 31 years with The Denver Post, which included time as assistant editor of Empire magazine, he left behind a legacy of quality journalism but few personal impressions. Those who worked with him described a diligent, reserved man who did not mix his personal and professional lives.

"He did not socialize at work," said Pete Names, a feature writer at the Post and former associate of Hemingway. That, in so many words, was the response of many of his colleagues.

Joan White, who worked with Hemingway at Empire, said much the same thing: "He didn't talk about his personal business at the Post."

As quiet as Hemingway was about his personal life, the one thing those around him knew about was his inclination to explore. "He loved to travel and loved to talk about it," White said, and estimated that he visited at least 60 countries.

After retiring, Hemingway volunteered at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. For 15 years he served as an exhibit guide, introducing visitors to the treasures of the museum. Friend and fellow volunteer Dick Krepel also spoke of Hemmingway's roaming, saying that he "traveled virtually all over the world and the states." But it was the museum, Krepel said, that was Hemingway's "second love."

"He could be as grumpy as he could be," Krepel said, but added that Hemingway had a "heart of gold," especially where children were concerned. He loved giving exhibit tours and enjoyed interacting with the museum's younger visitors.

Not even Krepel, however, can explain why Hemingway chose CU-Boulder as his beneficiary. Hemingway graduated from New York University and never had any close ties with CU. "He never mentioned the University," he said. "There's nothing I can say to shed light on that."

Retired Post editor Bill Pride, whose years at the paper overlapped with Hemingway's, seemed equally baffled. Maybe Hemingway, he said, "just thought Colorado could use more journalism graduates."

Whatever his reasons, Hemingway's gift came as a complete surprise. When the check arrived on Sept. 30, the dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Paul S. Voakes, said it was "quite unusual."

Most donations to the school, Voakes said, are the result of a long relationship and many conversations with donors. "This was just the opposite," he said. "None of us ever had an opportunity to speak with Mr. Hemingway." About all that is known is that he had inherited a substantial amount of money, much of which he decided to pass on to the School.

The mysterious circumstances initially caused uncertainty about how to distribute the funds. Hemingway's will indicated only that the money was to be used for scholarships for junior and senior journalism students. That seemingly direct request left the School with the difficult task of determining how best to honor Hemingway's wish. Voakes compared the brief passage to the First Amendment in its brevity. "I've been gazing at the will and sort of trying to interpret it," he said.

In the end the decision on how to award the scholarships came down to a matter of guiding principles. "Scholarships are intended to help students who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford a university education," Voakes said.

For that reason, the William S. Hemingway Scholarship will be awarded based on four criteria: academic achievement, financial need, commitment to diversity and whether a student is a first-generation college entrant. A commitment to diversity, Voakes said, included a desire to work with groups underrepresented in the media, as well as students of diverse backgrounds. He said he wanted to recruit high school and community college students who would benefit from an education at CU-Boulder and also enrich the School's journalism program.

The first round of scholarships, to be awarded in spring 2009, will have an immediate impact on the school. The current scholarship budget totals approximately $117,000 a year, making Hemingway's additional $70,000 a year a significant increase. Voakes estimated that the money, which cannot be invested as an endowment, will be able to provide scholarships at this rate for 18 years.