Don Ranly

Former Missouri School of Journalism professor Donald P. Ranly, 90, of Columbia died Nov. 10, 2025.

Ranly became head of the J-school’s magazine sequence in 1976 and stayed there until 2004. An Ohio native, he came to Missouri after working in Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana at a variety of jobs, including newspaper reporter, magazine editor, weekly columnist, several roles in radio and television.

During his nearly 30 years at MU, he conducted nearly 1,000 writing and editing seminars for press associations, corporations, associations and individual newspapers and magazines. He also authored or co-authored five books and published several audio and video cassettes on reporting, writing and grammar.

Even earlier in his life, he spent 11 years a Roman Catholic priest in the Society of the Precious Blood.

Ranly is survived by several family members, countless colleagues and many more students who received some of their first introduction to journalism through his classes.