Jonathan Marshall, '62, a lifetime crusader for freedom of expression and a longtime friend of the School, established the endowed chair to help make the SOJC a leader in the study and defense of free speech.

Marshall says that when he created the endowment, he had in mind "someone who knows how to communicate, who enjoys teaching and believes in democracy and the First Amendment."

Finding this person was not an easy task. Professor Duncan McDonald, who headed the search committee, says, "You could argue we were looking for the impossible—an innovative and charismatic teacher, a world-class scholar, and a valued member of the faculty community."

The search committee found the perfect fit in Kyu Ho Youm. Prior to accepting the First Amendment Chair at the School, Youm was a professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Telecommunications at Arizona State University. He has committed himself to the study and protection of the First Amendment.

Youm's passion for the First Amendment stems in part from his personal experience. As a student in Seoul in the 1970s, Youm joined thousands of others in protesting the human rights violations of President Park Chung-Hee. As punishment for expressing his political views, Youm was drafted virtually overnight into the Korean Army.

When he came to the United States in 1980, Youm says he knew little about American law as a whole, let alone U.S. media law. He enrolled in Dr. Harry Stonecipher's communication law class at Southern Illinois University. Though he had excelled as a student in Korea, attending lectures and reading in a new language proved to be a challenge.

He did so poorly on his first exam that Stonecipher urged him to drop the class, suggesting instead that he read about constitutional law on his own. Youm followed his professor's advice. "As a caring teacher, he didn't want me to fail the course." recalls Youm. "He knew I was working hard."

Youm spent the next several months at the library, reading voraciously. His hard work paid off. When he re-enrolled in Stonecipher's class the following summer, he finished at the top of his class. In 1982, he earned a Master's degree in Journalism from Southern Illinois University, where he went on to pursue his Ph.D., and then a Master of Studies in Law (M.S.L.) degree from Yale Law School. During the past two decades, Youm has published prodigiously and has received countless awards for his outstanding research and teaching. He still attributes much of his success to the guidance of his former professor.

Youm's passion for the First Amendment and his dedication to teaching became clear as he met with SOJC faculty, staff and students, lectured to classes and presented his research.

Wendy Barger, a doctoral student who was on the search committee, says students connected with Youm almost immediately.

"We asked all the candidates what they would do to work with those of us who aren't legal scholars," Barger says. "Kyu was excited about bringing students with other interests into the world of media law. He's obviously highly accomplished, but there wasn't any sort of pretense—there was a genuineness about him that students liked."

Youm says the opportunity to work with bright, ambitious students has always been important to him. "I have a terrible reputation at Arizona State for teaching a killer course," Youm says. "I always challenge my students to go beyond what they think they can accomplish. I believe there's no such thing as a bad student—only poor teachers."

He has never lost sight of his passion for free expression, a principle he calls the most basic of all human rights. His decision to join the faculty at the SOJC reflects that passion.

The diversity of interests among the faculty at the SOJC was one of the things that attracted him to the position. "The faculty are energized and serious about moving the whole program to the next level of excellence," he says. "I want to be a part of that history-making process."

Marshall says, "Part of my love for the First Amendment came from my professors, particularly John Hulteng. I hope this will make people aware of the First Amendment and stimulate some people to really be defenders—to make it an important part of their careers and to respect the importance of open government."

Youm believes the study of the First Amendment has never been more important. "Freedom of the press has been in a precarious situation since Sept. 11. I think in this situation, the United States should try to be unlike other countries. If the United States is like Iraq in terms of free press—what's the use of being a U.S. citizen?"