Earl Conn papers

Earl Conn (1927-2009) was a member of the Ball State faculty from 1958-1998 and worked for the Department of Journalism. He was named chair of the Journalism department in 1984 and went on to serve as the founding dean of the College of Communications in 1996. Throughout his time at Ball State, he remained a journalist, freelance writer, and an active member of the Friends Memorial Church. After retiring from Ball State in 1998, Conn continued to work as a writer and penned a series of Indiana travel columns that appeared in newspapers across the state.

In 1973, Conn helped organize the first Midwest Writers' Workshop, a three-day program that brought aspiring local writers to Ball State for the purpose of meeting with other professional writers and improving their craft. The program has continued to this day and serves writers across many genres and interests. The program continues to bring noteworthy authors to Muncie on a yearly basis.