Sam Freedman, a journalism professor at Columbia University, concluded his 35-year teaching career with a highly successful seminar. The seminar, which started in 1991 as an experiment, challenged students to create book proposals within a semester. Remarkably, the class resulted in 113 book contracts and 95 published books from approximately 675 students.
Freedman's decision to retire marks the end of an era for the journalism school, as there are no plans to continue the seminar in its current form. His impact on the publishing world through this unique course is undeniable.