H. Will Norton Jr. devoted his career to journalism education, strengthening the profession through decades of leadership in the classroom, the newsroom and university administration.
Norton graduated from Wheaton College with a bachelor's degree in 1963. He also has a master’s degree in mass communications from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in mass communications from the University of Iowa.
Norton joined the faculty at Ole Miss in 1977 to chair the Department of Journalism, a position he held until 1990. He later joined the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he served as dean of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications and helped strengthen its reputation as one of the nation’s leading journalism programs.
In 2009, Norton returned to Mississippi and Ole Miss as founding dean of the School of Journalism and New Media. Under his leadership, the school experienced tremendous growth in enrollment and expanded its role in preparing students for careers in a rapidly changing media industry.
Throughout his career, Norton has maintained strong ties to community journalism. A partner in The South Reporter in Holly Springs, he has understood firsthand the challenges and opportunities facing local newspapers and has worked to connect journalism education more closely with the needs of the profession.
Norton was instrumental in establishing newspaper reporting trips funded by the Mississippi Press Association Education Foundation. The program sends teams of Ole Miss journalism students to member newspapers, where they spend several days reporting, writing and producing stories for publication. The trips provide students with valuable professional experience while offering meaningful assistance to community newspapers across Mississippi.
His influence as an educator and administrator has extended far beyond Mississippi. In recognition of his contributions to journalism education and the profession, Norton was inducted into the Nebraska Journalism Hall of Fame in 2009.
Through decades of leadership at the University of Mississippi and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, his commitment to community newspapers and his dedication to generations of aspiring journalists, H. Will Norton Jr. has made a lasting contribution to journalism in Mississippi and across the nation.
