When you hear someone mention the year 1856, most people think of the United States pre-Civil War. But Auburn students know that's the year their beloved University was established. One hundred and fifty-eight years of tradition and prestige later, Auburn is a school to be proud of. The University offers more than 60 innovative programs, but it didn't start out that way.
Jack Simms, former journalist for the Associated Press and retired head of Auburn's journalism department, remembers the school before a former journalism program even existed. A 1949 graduate, Simms looks fondly at the progress the University has made, and the opportunities his Auburn degree has given him.
You went to Auburn back when it was known as the Alabama Polytechnic Institute. What was it like back then in comparison with what it was like today?
I graduated with an English-journalism degree in 1949. Back then, journalism was part of the English department. They didn't have enough faculty or courses to have a full journalism major. There were a total of maybe 20 in my major, and only three or four people graduated with me. We only had one full-time journalism teacher. The program's come a long way.
Did you always know you wanted to be a journalist? What made you want to go into that field?
Well, I was in pre-veterinary medicine, and my sister had been the editor of The Plainsman, and she had already graduated and gone on. The current editor [when I was there] knew my sister real well and knew who I was. He kept hounding me to come down and work for The Plainsman, so I finally did. I kept on getting more involved, and then finally, I ran for editor myself. I was elected editor by the student body in 1948, and stayed on until 1949.
Did you enjoy your time of the Plainsman?
Well, in the spring of 1949, I got fired. I'm the only editor in Plainsman history to get fired. I was 'let go' because of the April Fools' edition we did in those days. The board said I was supposed to make the first four pages of the April Fools' edition regular [real] news, and the last four pages fake. Well, I didn't hear those orders, and made the first four pages fake instead, and I was fired. Back then we were feisty. That whole year, we printed a lot of editorials that were anti-administration, and we were very opinionated. They [the board] claimed they fired me because of the April Fools' edition, but I wonder if they just used as an excuse to get rid of me. So I was fired, and that was it.
You worked for the Associated Press for 23 years. What was that like? Was it a journalist's dream come true?
Oh, absolutely. The Associated Press supplies the media with the bulk of their news. They cover every major city. It's a worldwide agency, and I worked for them for 23 years in six different bureaus from Atlanta to Louisville to Boston and more. I was the deputy general sports editor in New York City for the Associated Press. That's a worldwide sports operation, and I was second in command. We had sports writers in every major city and there I was, responsible for giving the news to newspapers themselves. I loved being the deputy general sports editor - it was the world's longest title and the world's smallest salary.
So out of all the cities and places you've lived and worked, which has been your favorite?
Auburn, Alabama, hands down.
That makes sense - you left the Associated Press move back to Auburn in 1974, right? Tell me about that.
My family moved here to Auburn when I was 11 years old. I went to middle and high school here, and I went to the University. I met my wife at Auburn, and we got married after she graduated. We both have a strong Auburn background. You wouldn't know this, but twenty years from now you'll know it: Auburn is such a great place compared to everywhere else. Whenever I talk to people from that time in my life, they say, 'You lucky scoundrel! You're back in Auburn, you sly dog!' This job [to work at Auburn] just fell in my lap, and I'd done my bit with the AP. I was ready to go home.
How has the journalism program improved since the 70s?
We took what we had already and just filled it out. We got more faculty and sections of feature writing, and, soon, we had more students than we could teach. We didn't have any equipment at all, and now they have computers for design and editing, studios for photography, television and multimedia - they've got everything. Now, the journalism program accommodates everything beyond just writing a story for the newspaper. Auburn has made a great effort to meet those modern requirements, and current students have what they need to get hired.
What has been your favorite thing about the career path you chose?
It was the camaraderie of the prize and the performance of writing, and I was good at what I did. I took a lot of pride in what I did. I had a lot of satisfaction, and I still do. I've enjoyed every job I ever had. You forget the bad things, or they become less important, but I can't remember thinking 'Gosh, I don't want to go into work today.' I was always ready to go to work because I loved it. It was a great thing.
Did you enjoy teaching for Auburn as much as reporting?
Oh, yeah! If you're any good at what you do, you're either a teacher or learner the whole time. One day, somebody was teaching me, and the next I'm teaching them. Nothing's better than advice from someone with more experience. That's how it goes your whole life.
Speaking of advice, what advice would you give aspiring journalists at Auburn?
When you graduate, don't worry about what it pays. Journalism doesn't pay very much, and most of you aren't going to get very much to start with. Get that first job, stick with it a year, and if you aren't liking it then go somewhere else or get out of the business. There's nothing worse than going through life being miserable. Don't just go through the motions. If you really want to get ahead, have a good attitude and a willingness to work. If I had flunked out of school and went to work as a ditch digger and gave it 110 percent, it wouldn't be too long before I was moved to supervisor or something else because I'm too valuable to be left digging ditches. If you have the right attitude you'll move up to just about anything if you work hard enough. The way you approach your job has a great deal to do with how successful you're going to be.
You just published the third edition of your book "Auburn: A Pictorial History of the Loveliest Village." What motivated you to put that together?
The book has been out for about two weeks now. It's a history of Auburn starting from the early 1830s through 2013. It's 450 pages with more than 800 pictures in it. It's nine chapters of narrative and captions to tell you something interesting about each place in Auburn that's pictured. Most of the pictures came from the archives in the University library. Our goal was for every picture and caption to tell a story by itself - a series of stories to tell the story of Auburn University. The archivist at the library, Allen Jones said, 'Anyone that loves Auburn ought to have a copy of this book.'
Do you agree that anyone who loves Auburn ought to get a copy of your book?
Yes ma'am, I do. I don't think anybody could go through this book and not come away with a warm, fuzzy feeling about Auburn. There are so many wonderful, humorous and heartfelt things happening around this place. I can't wait for people to read it.
Any final word to the students?
Auburn's a great place. Take advantage of all the wonderful things we have in this wonderful city. We've always been a family that's 'All In.' War Eagle, and best wishes.
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