Missouri School of Journalism Professor Emeritus Rod Gelatt died Sunday January 19, at his home in Arizona. He was 93.
Gelatt joined the MU faculty in 1963, and during his more than 45-year tenure served as News Director of both KBIA and KOMU-TV. According to Journalism School reporting, he is credited with bringing “the Missouri Method” to KOMU: bringing students into the workflow of the newsroom as reporters, producers and writers, when previously students had only worked as interns.
Gelatt served in a number of roles throughout the Journalism School. KBIA listeners may remember him as the creator of KBIA’s View of the News, and its original host. The show, which began in 1994, continues today. Gelatt’s last appearance on that program was in 2016.
In 2018, he and his wife Andee moved to Arizona. In 2016, in honor of his 90th Birthday, some of his former students organized a celebration of his career in Columbia. They also created The Rod Gelatt KBIA Faculty Enhancement Fund, which helps support KBIA and the faculty who mentor students and operate the station’s newsroom.