William Donald Schaefer was no friend of the press during his two terms as governor.
He used to greet male reporters by saying, "Good morning, girls," deliberately mispronounced names and once pointed an unloaded gun at a journalist.So what's he doing teaching a journalism class at the University of Maryland?
Schaefer was asked by Reese Cleghorn, dean of the journalism school.
"We all know his relationship with the press," Cleghorn said. "But these students are not a fainthearted group. They can take care of themselves."
Schaefer teaches public policymaking for journalists, a requirement for graduate students.
"You're all so cynical about politics," Schaefer told his 15 students one recent day. "Every politician is looked on as crooked. The opinion that many of you have toward politicians is wrong."
Catherine I. Riley, a former state senator who helps teach the class, said Schaefer has made progress in curing his ill will toward reporters.
"It was a little rocky at first," she said. "But I've seen a change, and it's fun to watch."