‘Mr. Lowe was a man of deep conviction and deep wisdom’

Lowe and Campbell at Lowes retirement celebration in 2017.

Lowe and Campbell at Lowe’s retirement celebration in 2017.

Marcus Campbell, Colleague

For nearly 20 years I have had a friendship with Rodney Lowe, and over the course of those years we talked, we laughed and we cried. We talked about our families, our faith and, of course, ETHS. At one point in time, we were the only Black men teaching in the English department, and as a young Black male just beginning my teaching career, Mr. Lowe would share his experiences with race at ETHS and what I could expect. Rodney Lowe made a profound impact on me, the English department, ETHS and the Evanston community. His journalism classes spanned over 30 years and inspired a countless    number of journalists who write and work all over the world. Some of Mr. Lowe’s former students are currently on ESPN, write for the New York Times, are investigative journalists who have written several books, are on the local news in Chicago and some are still in college majoring in journalism; they trace their love and initial training back to Mr. Lowe’s classroom. He has made an imprint on the field of journalism that will resonate for the ages. Mr. Lowe was a man of deep conviction and deep wisdom, I am blessed to have been able to benefit from his life and lessons. I will miss his sense of humor, his precision and dedication to journalistic excellence and his love and commitment to the students of Evanston Township High School.