After developing UW-Eau Claire’s broadcast journalism curriculum in 1972, Henry Lippold mentored and taught many students who now work as journalists for radio and television across the country. 

After three decades of working for the university’s broadcast journalism program, Lippold retired in 2001 before passing in 2018. Alumni donors and friends contributed $50,000 to a memorial fund in Lippold’s name, allowing the university to make improvements for journalism students. 

Improvements include updated computers and cameras as well as a new control board for the radio station. In addition, the radio and broadcast studio, as well as the control rooms in Hibbard Hall, will be renamed to the “Henry Lippold Broadcast Suite.” 

Judy Clark, a UW-Eau Claire alumna and a former student of Lippold, said the dedication is very fitting given he built the broadcast journalism department and guided many students over the years. Clark graduated in 1987 and is now a news anchor and producer for WEAU 13 News. 

“I don’t think I would be in this business or in this business for this long if it weren’t for him,” Clark said. “He always had your best interest at heart, not just in the classroom or lab, but also your career.” 

Clark said Lippold had a big influence on many students, cared deeply about them and was very supportive and believed in them. 

Jack Kapfer, associate professor of the communication and journalism department and another former student of Lippold, said Lippold made him understand what news was supposed to be. It was supposed to be unbiased, accurate and something important. 

“Henry hammered that into us, that we had to do it the right way,” Kapfer said. “Unfortunately, we don’t see as much of that nowadays as we did back then.” 

When Kapfer was teaching at a college in Ohio, Lippold called him asking if he wanted to take his job when he retired. Kafter said he knew what kind of reputation the broadcast journalism program had at UW-Eau Claire, mainly due to Lippold, and wanted to do the best he could to keep up with Lippold’s level of teaching. 

Kapfer said the dedication is absolutely appropriate. He would have liked to see a building built for the communication and journalism department in honor of Lippold, because that is the impact he made on so many students. 

Glen Mabie, communication and technology specialist for Integrated Marketing and Communications, not only had Lippold as a professor but as an advisor, too. Mabie said Lippold made you realize you had a passion for journalism that you may not have known was buried within you.  

“For a lot of students, he was the professor who perhaps had the greatest impact on their college life,” Mabie said. “Because of that impact, it bled over into their careers.” 

Mabie said Lippold brought a passion for getting the story, making the story interesting and something people would remember. The real impact Lippold had on so many of his students was instilling passion for being a good community journalist, Mabie said. 

A celebration of the renaming will take place at 4 p.m. on Nov. 19 in Hibbard. 

Mabie said, “That is his legacy and that is the legacy you hear about from people who had Henry as a teacher and as a friend.”

Snyder can be reached at [email protected] .