James A. Tidwell, chairman of the Journalism Department at Eastern, died Saturday, April 12, following a 19-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 65.

Tidwell taught communication law to hundreds of students in his 41-year career in higher education, including 27 years at Eastern. He was the author of “Media Law in Illinois: A Reporter’s Handbook”, among other works on the First Amendment and the press.

J. David Reed, the former journalism department chair, was responsible for bringing Tidwell to Eastern in the spring of 1987. Reed said Tidwell was the type of professor who put students first and himself second.

“JT has embodied that tradition of selfless leadership, absolute focus on what best serves our students, no quarter to be given on the principles of good journalism and free expression, especially on college campuses,” Reed said on a Facebook event dedicated to Tidwell.

Reed first met Tidwell at Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, a conference in Norman, Ok., in 1986. Impressed with his knowledge and dedication to the First Amendment and all things freedom of the press, Reed convinced Tidwell to come to Eastern, which he said was one of the best things to happen to Eastern’s journalism program.

Born July 6, 1948 in Oklahoma City to Ray and Maxine Davis Tidwell, he graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma Baptist University. He earned his master’s in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and graduated with a Juris Doctor cum laude from the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville.

Tidwell served as director of the Eastern Illinois High School Press Association from 1988-2005 and as executive secretary of the Illinois Journalism Education Association from 1989-2005.

A member of Charleston Rotary and the Coles County Barbershop Chorus, Tidwell was also an avid bowler and fan of Eastern athletics.

Tidwell also served in Eastern’s Faculty Senate with Bonnie Irwin, dean of arts and humanities.

“I remember well his directness,” she said. “He did not let anyone get away with half-baked notions or ill-considered proposals. He took those same standards to his comm. law class, where students were challenged to think deeply and learn.”

Before coming to Eastern, Tidwell taught as a professor and faculty adviser to the weekly student newspaper at Indiana University Southeast from 1978 to 1987. He also advised the weekly student newspaper and taught journalism at Tulsa Community College from 1973–1978.

Tidwell worked as the editor of the Okmulgee Daily Times in Oklahoma and as a sports writer and copy editor of the Oklahoma Journal.

He was preceded in death by his mother Maxine Davis Tidwell, and his grandmother, Mae Owen.

Survivors include his wife, Muriel Everton, also a professor at Eastern, whom he married in 1991; his father, Ray Tidwell, and his stepmother, Bette Chasteen Tidwell, Moore, Okla.; his sister, Phyllis Foree and brother-in-law Roger Foree, Pasadena, Texas.

Services will be Wednesday, April 16 at the First Baptist Church, 2800 University Drive, Charleston, with visitation beginning at 4:30 p.m. and a memorial service at 6 p.m.