Robert L. Button
Inducted 1989
adviser, The Tower, Grosse Pointe South High School
Robert Lockwood Button, the first high school teacher to be inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame, has been the adviser of The Tower, the award-winning Grosse Pointe South High School weekly newspaper, for more than 23 years.
The success of his students is perhaps the best testimony to his excellence in teaching, and his quiet suggestions and good- humored nature foster a learning environment in which students can – and do – excel.
Born in Washington D.C., and reared in Marshalltown, Iowa, Button earned an undergraduate degree from Northern Iowa University and a Master of Arts degree in journalism from the University of Iowa. Button has been the recipient of many awards in scholastic journalism, including the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association Golden Pen; the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Key; the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Distinguished Adviser; and the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year.
During the summers he is in demand to teach at journalism workshops across the country and continues to sharpen his skills as a copy editor and reporter for the Detroit Free Press. He is also the author of 12 handbooks and several articles on scholastic publications. His inspiration extends to other publication advisers. Larry Mack of Jackson High School said it best: “Bob just never lets up; his dedication to excellence in journalism, his absolute love for the challenge of education young journalists serve as a model for us all.”