Kansas University Journalism Professor Ted Frederickson has been awarded a professorship for teaching writing established by former KU Chancellor Gene Budig.

Frederickson, the first recipient of the Budig Teaching Professorship of Writing, will give a public address on the importance of teaching writing.

Frederickson has taught at KU for 27 years, and he gave credit to his students, who have won multiple awards for writing and reporting, and their previous writing teachers.

“The moments I appreciate most are when a student who doesn’t have a strong natural talent as a writer works hard and is attentive, and then writes a great story that wins awards,” Frederickson said.

A former student, Wall Street Journal reporter Kevin Helliker, nominated Frederickson for the award.

Budig, who now lives in Princeton, N.J., was chancellor of KU from 1981 to 1994, when he left the university to become president of professional baseball’s American League. He said he established the professorship to help improve young people’s writing skills.

The schools of journalism and education will rotate the Budig professorship each year.