You have probably seen English Professor David Hudson in passing around Hamline: round tortoiseshell glasses, briefcase in tow, always looking sharp in a great sweater. We could talk about his favorite color or favorite food, but through my time with Professor Hudson what I found the most interesting was his journey to Hamline and all the twists and turns that careers can often take us on. Being college students, this can be a refreshing perspective to understand. Hudson was born in Michigan, but then spent most of his childhood and teenage years in Winnipeg, Canada. After spending a year at the University of Manitoba studying physics, he then realized that though the science field is interesting he wanted to make a change in majors and study English and journalism. “I had a love for science but I soon realized I was not as into the major as some of my fellow classmates,” Hudson said. At the time, the University of Minnesota was one of the best schools for journalism, and as Hudson had fond memories of family in Minneapolis he decided to make the trek down south to become a Gopher. Four years later in 1979, he graduated with a double major in English and journalism and with dreams of being a journalist. At first he started out working internship-type jobs at WCCO as well as working for a former professor at a small publishing company. 8 | Canvas
He was sending his resume out to many employers with little response. “I then caught a big break, out of the blue got a job at ABC News in New York,” said Hudson. Just like that, in 1982 Hudson was off to the Big Apple to work in the political unit of ABC. “It was an emotional and professional roller coaster, but I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything,” said Hudson. He spent his time in New York working on the news team that covered elections, projecting election results and analyzing what casting a ballot actually meant to voters. The city was overwhelming, and he didn’t quite understand the urgency to be the first reporter on the scene. Although Hudson gained a lot of career and life experience in New York, after two years the thrill of the city that never sleeps soon wore him down, and he was ready for another big change in his life. He felt something was missing in his education and started taking night classes at Columbia University to continue studying English. “I always thought journalism was the practical one, it’s the one that is going to make me a living, while English was for my soul,” said Hudson. “In New York, I started to consider whether I could take what I did for my soul and make it pay.”
