Charles William Zobell, a former instructor at UNLV and faculty representative for the Scarlet & Gray Free Press advisory board, died on Sept. 11. He was scheduled to be inducted into the Nevada Newspaper Hall of Fame just days later.
Zobell taught news writing at UNLV for more than 20 years as both a lecturer and part-time instructor. Renowned for his passion and dedication, he earned the UNLV Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Part-Time Faculty Member. Beyond his work at the university, Zobell also served as managing editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Zobell’s daughter, Rebecca, told the Review-Journal that he died the day he was scheduled to sit for a portrait for a Hall of Fame feature. Last month, the Nevada Press Foundation announced that Zobell would be inducted alongside seven other esteemed journalists.
Christopher Johnson, a former student of Zobell, described him as one of the best professors he had at UNLV. “He was everything you would want in a mentor: someone who would be there for you, listen to you, and offer harsh but useful criticism,” Johnson said. He fondly recalled asking Zobell to sign a plastic computer cover as a keepsake, on which Zobell humorously wrote, “Property of GUA, but best wishes.”
In a tribute on social media, the university highlighted Zobell’s influence, noting that his student evaluation scores consistently ranked him among the top instructors in both the School of Journalism and Media Studies and the College of Urban Affairs.
Ryan Gilder, a journalism major who took Zobell’s class during his first semester at UNLV, also reflected on the lasting impression the professor made. “He was one of the nicest guys I have ever met. Whenever he came into the room, everyone had a smile on their face,” Gilder said. “Listening to his stories about the Review-Journal made me more confident in joining a newsroom.”
The university shared the community’s sense of loss on social media, stating, “Journalism has lost a great leader, but his legacy lives on in the generation of journalists he trained and mentored.”
