Before the Department of Journalism was officially established in January of 1949, St. Bonaventure offered journalism classes as a part of the English Department as early as 1917. The first class, listed in the course catalogue for the academic year 1917-1918, lists "English V: Journalism" with the course description being "Study and exercise in the method, gathering of material, and style of newspaper and magazine writing. Two periods, one semester" and was 2 credit hours.
Records are inconclusive as to who taught that first journalism course. The two "grandfathers" of the Department of Journalism at St. Bonaventure appear to be John C. Armstrong and Irving Roger Bacon.
Armstrong was a longtime newpaper editor who joined the Olean Times Herald in 1919 and the teaching staff as a part-time instructor in 1920, becoming a full-time professor later on. At the behest of Fr. Plassmann, he instructed a journalism course at the college and taught public speaking, political science and history as well. A well-known lecturer, he was nationally renowned on the speaking circuit, traveling extensively in the 1930's in particular to talk about the rise of Fascism and Nazism.
Bacon, a St. Bonaventure graduate and valedictorian for the class of 1884, had an interesting career as a journalist, lawyer, seminarian and, eventually, college professor. After graduating college he decided to enter the priesthood in Santa Clara, California but left and returned to New York State, being admitted to Colombia and then Tulane University law school. Instead of practicing law, however, he became a reporter and returned to St. Bonaventure in 1926 to teach. Upon returning, he received a Master's Degree from the school and founded the St. Bona Venture, which grew to become one of the most prominent college newspapers in the country.
Bacon and Armstrong expanded the journalism courses being offered. From the mid-1920s through the Depression, classes and hours of instruction exploded, and Bonaventure graduates became active and prominent in the field, including several newspaper editors, columnists and publishers.
When World War II began, however, the program was suspended. It would not be until 1947 that journalism classes would resume as a part of the English Department, with 5 three-hour courses and one two-hour course.