Hamilton Bean, PhD., MBA, APR, is professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Colorado Denver. He also serves as director of the University of Colorado Denver’s International Studies Program. He specializes in the study of communication and security. He has applied communication theory to the study of extremism, counterterrorism, disinformation, intelligence, public diplomacy, and resilience. He has earned multiple awards for scholarship from the National Communication Association and is a member of seven journal editorial boards.

"Nimitz’s Newsman has a nostalgic ‘Hollywood’ feel to it. It is a real-life story of the old-school American ‘newshounds’ pounding their beats, seeking ‘scoops’ in constant battles with their editors and publishers and to meet deadlines. This story differed from the classic ‘city beat’ in that it was the high drama of the Pacific War. I read the book ‘in black and white’ as redolent of a vintage monochrome film drama which, in real life, it was. The media of the 1940s comprised syndicated newspapers, radio and newsreel films; a vast difference to media today where everyone has a mobile phone with a camera. We can all be reporters and social media publishers. The powerful newspapers of the old era are floundering in this age of instant communication. Nimitz’s Newsman is therefore a dramatic tale of a past age to which older readers can relate. It should also be instructive for newer generations of journalists as background education as they forge their careers in the contemporary media."—Australian Naval Institute"As with most narratives of seminal events in World War II, time and academic inquiry have produced necessary correctives to our understanding of the war—particularly the Navy’s actions in the Pacific. Hamilton Bean does the historical canon of the wartime Pacific a great service by laying bare a major barrier to news-hungry Americans—a naval Public Relations Officer named Waldo Drake. Bean’s fascinating expose reveals how one man’s misguided adherence to censorship, while protecting operational security and the images of leaders like Admiral Nimitz, robbed wartime America of a complete picture of the contributions their Navy was making to achieve victory. A terrific, original contribution to the scholarship."—Lt. Col. Stephen M. Rusiecki, USA (Ret.), Dean of Academics / Deputy Commandant, U.S. Army Inspector General School, and author of "Invasion On!" D-Day, the Press, and the Making of an American Narrative"Hamilton Bean’s Nimitz’s Newsman is a magnificent piece of work that is the first to bring together diverse sources to look at how the U.S. Pacific Fleet managed its World War II public information efforts. Bean’s work is a phenomenal piece of research. Bean shows how an insular culture espoused by some Navy senior leaders unfortunately created mistrust between them and the media. Nearly 80 years after the war, Nimitz’s Newsman provides valuable lessons and insight on the importance of telling the Navy story to the public today"—Rear Adm. Tom Jurkowsky, USN (Ret.), Former Navy Chief of Information "Hamilton Bean has constructed a carefully researched and insightful narrative exploring the fascinating career of Lt. Cdr. Waldo Drake, USNR.  Woven throughout the story is the history of the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet during World War II and the birth of modern media relations and public relations.  The strategic decisions and actions of Waldo Drake clearly demonstrate the power of communication as an essential part of the war effort. Drake’s pioneering efforts can be seen in contemporary use of communication as a tool in international conflict."—Matthew Seeger, Distinguished University Professor of Communication, Fellow International Communication Association and author of several books including Narratives of Crisis"Fascinating and compelling! Hamilton Bean’s study of Waldo Drake is a great look at the complex interplay of organizational dynamics and personal relationships. It is a valuable addition to the history of the Pacific War and the evolution of Navy public relations."—Trent Hone, author of Learning War and Mastering the Art of Command: Admiral Chester W Nimitz and Victory in the Pacific“Who wants to know where the fleet is?” Time magazine asked with Chester Nimitz on its cover. As his public relations officer, journalist Waldo Drake had to answer by balancing the contradictory demands of morale-boosting publicity with military secrecy. Gathering no shortage of critics and admirers along the way, Drake parceled out uplifting stories even as he censored what Americans were told. Hamilton Bean has produced an intriguing read between the lines of the Pacific war."—Walter R. Borneman, author of The Admirals: Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King"Hamilton Bean opens the reader to the complex tapestry of Waldo Drake as WWI veteran, LA Times journalist, Navy Reserve Intelligence Officer, and Public Relations Officer for CINCPAC during the seminal years of the WWII Pacific campaign.  Imagine playing tennis against ADM Nimitz, shaping Naval policy on public relations, and corralling noted journalists all in the same day – that describes Waldo Drake.  As Bean describes Drake maneuvering operations, strategy, and policy with ADM Nimitz and other notable flag officers, he offers a fresh and important read on the challenges of being a staff officer for a Navy legend during the throes of WWII."—Lt. Col. Ronald Buikema, USMC (Ret.), President/Founder, TractorShare Corp.; Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland Global Campus "Bean enriches the scholarship of World War Two by taking the reader through that well-known period of history from a less familiar angle. Diving into the role played by eminent newsman and Nimitz’s trusted Public Relations Officer Waldo Drake, Bean illuminates - not only Drake’s role in the war - but offers the reader insights into that historical environment through a fascinating perspective. Bean brings the atmosphere of the time into context providing glimpses into an integral part of the war effort"—Kim Roberts, Professor of the Practice of International Relations, Georgetown University"Hamilton Bean’s detailed research allows understanding of the communications and interactions between Waldo Drake and those he dealt with inside and out of the Navy, as well as the dialogue and communications between Admiral Nimitz and both Admiral King and SECNAV. In reading about WWII these fascinating details affecting historical events are often not available for understanding the background and rationale of how decisions are made (examine Bean’s extensive research in his end notes). Nimitz’s Newsman is an interesting and thoroughly enjoyable book illustrating the important communications and working relationships between leaders, their staff, and the news media during this critical historical period. Valid in any current or future situations of intense high stress. Highly recommended."—Rear Adm. Steven G. Smith, USN (Ret.), former Director of Strategy and Plans (J5) U.S. Pacific Command"Nimitz’s Newsman is an unconventional entry in the field of naval biography. Its subject, Rear Adm. Waldo Drake, USNR, served as the first Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the US Pacific Fleet from 1941 to 1944, working closely with Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, USN. While Professor Bean charts Drake’s career during the war in the Pacific, he does so from his perspective as an expert in public relations, rather than strictly as a historian.  Author Hamilton Bean tells Drake’s story and that of Pacific Fleet public relations with sympathy and objectivity. Deeply researched, the book presents those narratives effectively and offers some object lessons to those who are tasked to tell their service’s stories and to inform the citizens of the democracy they serve."—Sea History"Professor Bean does the near-impossible, sharing his thorough research in a wonderfully readable form. He also illustrates the significance of a single US naval officer and his role deciding what the American public would learn about the war in the Pacific during WWII."—Tom Graves, USMC Combat Correspondents Association“Nimitz’s Newsman is a well-crafted biography of newspaper report and naval reservist Waldo Drake. Hamilton Bean tells the story clearly, with an eye for a telling moment and an appreciation of human foibles....It provides greater depth to our understanding of the public relations struggles of the Second World War and some of the instinctive assumptions of U.S. Navy officers of the period. It also explains Drake’s hitherto under-explored role at a critical place and time and is a deeply human story of success and disappointment.”— The Journal of Military History“Hamilton Bean’s unique work in Nimitz’s Newsman is additive to the corpus of World War II history, and I found it a thoroughly engaging read. Bean’s background and expertise in communications offer fair treatment to Drake, a man challenged personally and professionally throughout his life.”— Naval History magazine

Hamilton Bean, PhD., MBA, APR, is professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Colorado Denver. He also serves as director of the University of Colorado Denver’s International Studies Program. He specializes in the study of communication and security. He has applied communication theory to the study of extremism, counterterrorism, disinformation, intelligence, public diplomacy, and resilience. He has earned multiple awards for scholarship from the National Communication Association and is a member of seven journal editorial boards.

"Nimitz’s Newsman has a nostalgic ‘Hollywood’ feel to it. It is a real-life story of the old-school American ‘newshounds’ pounding their beats, seeking ‘scoops’ in constant battles with their editors and publishers and to meet deadlines. This story differed from the classic ‘city beat’ in that it was the high drama of the Pacific War. I read the book ‘in black and white’ as redolent of a vintage monochrome film drama which, in real life, it was. The media of the 1940s comprised syndicated newspapers, radio and newsreel films; a vast difference to media today where everyone has a mobile phone with a camera. We can all be reporters and social media publishers. The powerful newspapers of the old era are floundering in this age of instant communication. Nimitz’s Newsman is therefore a dramatic tale of a past age to which older readers can relate. It should also be instructive for newer generations of journalists as background education as they forge their careers in the contemporary media."—Australian Naval Institute"As with most narratives of seminal events in World War II, time and academic inquiry have produced necessary correctives to our understanding of the war—particularly the Navy’s actions in the Pacific. Hamilton Bean does the historical canon of the wartime Pacific a great service by laying bare a major barrier to news-hungry Americans—a naval Public Relations Officer named Waldo Drake. Bean’s fascinating expose reveals how one man’s misguided adherence to censorship, while protecting operational security and the images of leaders like Admiral Nimitz, robbed wartime America of a complete picture of the contributions their Navy was making to achieve victory. A terrific, original contribution to the scholarship."—Lt. Col. Stephen M. Rusiecki, USA (Ret.), Dean of Academics / Deputy Commandant, U.S. Army Inspector General School, and author of "Invasion On!" D-Day, the Press, and the Making of an American Narrative"Hamilton Bean’s Nimitz’s Newsman is a magnificent piece of work that is the first to bring together diverse sources to look at how the U.S. Pacific Fleet managed its World War II public information efforts. Bean’s work is a phenomenal piece of research. Bean shows how an insular culture espoused by some Navy senior leaders unfortunately created mistrust between them and the media. Nearly 80 years after the war, Nimitz’s Newsman provides valuable lessons and insight on the importance of telling the Navy story to the public today"—Rear Adm. Tom Jurkowsky, USN (Ret.), Former Navy Chief of Information "Hamilton Bean has constructed a carefully researched and insightful narrative exploring the fascinating career of Lt. Cdr. Waldo Drake, USNR.  Woven throughout the story is the history of the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet during World War II and the birth of modern media relations and public relations.  The strategic decisions and actions of Waldo Drake clearly demonstrate the power of communication as an essential part of the war effort. Drake’s pioneering efforts can be seen in contemporary use of communication as a tool in international conflict."—Matthew Seeger, Distinguished University Professor of Communication, Fellow International Communication Association and author of several books including Narratives of Crisis"Fascinating and compelling! Hamilton Bean’s study of Waldo Drake is a great look at the complex interplay of organizational dynamics and personal relationships. It is a valuable addition to the history of the Pacific War and the evolution of Navy public relations."—Trent Hone, author of Learning War and Mastering the Art of Command: Admiral Chester W Nimitz and Victory in the Pacific“Who wants to know where the fleet is?” Time magazine asked with Chester Nimitz on its cover. As his public relations officer, journalist Waldo Drake had to answer by balancing the contradictory demands of morale-boosting publicity with military secrecy. Gathering no shortage of critics and admirers along the way, Drake parceled out uplifting stories even as he censored what Americans were told. Hamilton Bean has produced an intriguing read between the lines of the Pacific war."—Walter R. Borneman, author of The Admirals: Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King"Hamilton Bean opens the reader to the complex tapestry of Waldo Drake as WWI veteran, LA Times journalist, Navy Reserve Intelligence Officer, and Public Relations Officer for CINCPAC during the seminal years of the WWII Pacific campaign.  Imagine playing tennis against ADM Nimitz, shaping Naval policy on public relations, and corralling noted journalists all in the same day – that describes Waldo Drake.  As Bean describes Drake maneuvering operations, strategy, and policy with ADM Nimitz and other notable flag officers, he offers a fresh and important read on the challenges of being a staff officer for a Navy legend during the throes of WWII."—Lt. Col. Ronald Buikema, USMC (Ret.), President/Founder, TractorShare Corp.; Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland Global Campus "Bean enriches the scholarship of World War Two by taking the reader through that well-known period of history from a less familiar angle. Diving into the role played by eminent newsman and Nimitz’s trusted Public Relations Officer Waldo Drake, Bean illuminates - not only Drake’s role in the war - but offers the reader insights into that historical environment through a fascinating perspective. Bean brings the atmosphere of the time into context providing glimpses into an integral part of the war effort"—Kim Roberts, Professor of the Practice of International Relations, Georgetown University"Hamilton Bean’s detailed research allows understanding of the communications and interactions between Waldo Drake and those he dealt with inside and out of the Navy, as well as the dialogue and communications between Admiral Nimitz and both Admiral King and SECNAV. In reading about WWII these fascinating details affecting historical events are often not available for understanding the background and rationale of how decisions are made (examine Bean’s extensive research in his end notes). Nimitz’s Newsman is an interesting and thoroughly enjoyable book illustrating the important communications and working relationships between leaders, their staff, and the news media during this critical historical period. Valid in any current or future situations of intense high stress. Highly recommended."—Rear Adm. Steven G. Smith, USN (Ret.), former Director of Strategy and Plans (J5) U.S. Pacific Command"Nimitz’s Newsman is an unconventional entry in the field of naval biography. Its subject, Rear Adm. Waldo Drake, USNR, served as the first Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the US Pacific Fleet from 1941 to 1944, working closely with Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, USN. While Professor Bean charts Drake’s career during the war in the Pacific, he does so from his perspective as an expert in public relations, rather than strictly as a historian.  Author Hamilton Bean tells Drake’s story and that of Pacific Fleet public relations with sympathy and objectivity. Deeply researched, the book presents those narratives effectively and offers some object lessons to those who are tasked to tell their service’s stories and to inform the citizens of the democracy they serve."—Sea History"Professor Bean does the near-impossible, sharing his thorough research in a wonderfully readable form. He also illustrates the significance of a single US naval officer and his role deciding what the American public would learn about the war in the Pacific during WWII."—Tom Graves, USMC Combat Correspondents Association“Nimitz’s Newsman is a well-crafted biography of newspaper report and naval reservist Waldo Drake. Hamilton Bean tells the story clearly, with an eye for a telling moment and an appreciation of human foibles....It provides greater depth to our understanding of the public relations struggles of the Second World War and some of the instinctive assumptions of U.S. Navy officers of the period. It also explains Drake’s hitherto under-explored role at a critical place and time and is a deeply human story of success and disappointment.”— The Journal of Military History“Hamilton Bean’s unique work in Nimitz’s Newsman is additive to the corpus of World War II history, and I found it a thoroughly engaging read. Bean’s background and expertise in communications offer fair treatment to Drake, a man challenged personally and professionally throughout his life.”— Naval History magazine

Hamilton Bean, PhD., MBA, APR, is professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Colorado Denver. He also serves as director of the University of Colorado Denver’s International Studies Program. He specializes in the study of communication and security. He has applied communication theory to the study of extremism, counterterrorism, disinformation, intelligence, public diplomacy, and resilience. He has earned multiple awards for scholarship from the National Communication Association and is a member of seven journal editorial boards.

"Nimitz’s Newsman has a nostalgic ‘Hollywood’ feel to it. It is a real-life story of the old-school American ‘newshounds’ pounding their beats, seeking ‘scoops’ in constant battles with their editors and publishers and to meet deadlines. This story differed from the classic ‘city beat’ in that it was the high drama of the Pacific War. I read the book ‘in black and white’ as redolent of a vintage monochrome film drama which, in real life, it was. The media of the 1940s comprised syndicated newspapers, radio and newsreel films; a vast difference to media today where everyone has a mobile phone with a camera. We can all be reporters and social media publishers. The powerful newspapers of the old era are floundering in this age of instant communication. Nimitz’s Newsman is therefore a dramatic tale of a past age to which older readers can relate. It should also be instructive for newer generations of journalists as background education as they forge their careers in the contemporary media."—Australian Naval Institute"As with most narratives of seminal events in World War II, time and academic inquiry have produced necessary correctives to our understanding of the war—particularly the Navy’s actions in the Pacific. Hamilton Bean does the historical canon of the wartime Pacific a great service by laying bare a major barrier to news-hungry Americans—a naval Public Relations Officer named Waldo Drake. Bean’s fascinating expose reveals how one man’s misguided adherence to censorship, while protecting operational security and the images of leaders like Admiral Nimitz, robbed wartime America of a complete picture of the contributions their Navy was making to achieve victory. A terrific, original contribution to the scholarship."—Lt. Col. Stephen M. Rusiecki, USA (Ret.), Dean of Academics / Deputy Commandant, U.S. Army Inspector General School, and author of "Invasion On!" D-Day, the Press, and the Making of an American Narrative"Hamilton Bean’s Nimitz’s Newsman is a magnificent piece of work that is the first to bring together diverse sources to look at how the U.S. Pacific Fleet managed its World War II public information efforts. Bean’s work is a phenomenal piece of research. Bean shows how an insular culture espoused by some Navy senior leaders unfortunately created mistrust between them and the media. Nearly 80 years after the war, Nimitz’s Newsman provides valuable lessons and insight on the importance of telling the Navy story to the public today"—Rear Adm. Tom Jurkowsky, USN (Ret.), Former Navy Chief of Information "Hamilton Bean has constructed a carefully researched and insightful narrative exploring the fascinating career of Lt. Cdr. Waldo Drake, USNR.  Woven throughout the story is the history of the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet during World War II and the birth of modern media relations and public relations.  The strategic decisions and actions of Waldo Drake clearly demonstrate the power of communication as an essential part of the war effort. Drake’s pioneering efforts can be seen in contemporary use of communication as a tool in international conflict."—Matthew Seeger, Distinguished University Professor of Communication, Fellow International Communication Association and author of several books including Narratives of Crisis"Fascinating and compelling! Hamilton Bean’s study of Waldo Drake is a great look at the complex interplay of organizational dynamics and personal relationships. It is a valuable addition to the history of the Pacific War and the evolution of Navy public relations."—Trent Hone, author of Learning War and Mastering the Art of Command: Admiral Chester W Nimitz and Victory in the Pacific“Who wants to know where the fleet is?” Time magazine asked with Chester Nimitz on its cover. As his public relations officer, journalist Waldo Drake had to answer by balancing the contradictory demands of morale-boosting publicity with military secrecy. Gathering no shortage of critics and admirers along the way, Drake parceled out uplifting stories even as he censored what Americans were told. Hamilton Bean has produced an intriguing read between the lines of the Pacific war."—Walter R. Borneman, author of The Admirals: Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King"Hamilton Bean opens the reader to the complex tapestry of Waldo Drake as WWI veteran, LA Times journalist, Navy Reserve Intelligence Officer, and Public Relations Officer for CINCPAC during the seminal years of the WWII Pacific campaign.  Imagine playing tennis against ADM Nimitz, shaping Naval policy on public relations, and corralling noted journalists all in the same day – that describes Waldo Drake.  As Bean describes Drake maneuvering operations, strategy, and policy with ADM Nimitz and other notable flag officers, he offers a fresh and important read on the challenges of being a staff officer for a Navy legend during the throes of WWII."—Lt. Col. Ronald Buikema, USMC (Ret.), President/Founder, TractorShare Corp.; Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland Global Campus "Bean enriches the scholarship of World War Two by taking the reader through that well-known period of history from a less familiar angle. Diving into the role played by eminent newsman and Nimitz’s trusted Public Relations Officer Waldo Drake, Bean illuminates - not only Drake’s role in the war - but offers the reader insights into that historical environment through a fascinating perspective. Bean brings the atmosphere of the time into context providing glimpses into an integral part of the war effort"—Kim Roberts, Professor of the Practice of International Relations, Georgetown University"Hamilton Bean’s detailed research allows understanding of the communications and interactions between Waldo Drake and those he dealt with inside and out of the Navy, as well as the dialogue and communications between Admiral Nimitz and both Admiral King and SECNAV. In reading about WWII these fascinating details affecting historical events are often not available for understanding the background and rationale of how decisions are made (examine Bean’s extensive research in his end notes). Nimitz’s Newsman is an interesting and thoroughly enjoyable book illustrating the important communications and working relationships between leaders, their staff, and the news media during this critical historical period. Valid in any current or future situations of intense high stress. Highly recommended."—Rear Adm. Steven G. Smith, USN (Ret.), former Director of Strategy and Plans (J5) U.S. Pacific Command"Nimitz’s Newsman is an unconventional entry in the field of naval biography. Its subject, Rear Adm. Waldo Drake, USNR, served as the first Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the US Pacific Fleet from 1941 to 1944, working closely with Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, USN. While Professor Bean charts Drake’s career during the war in the Pacific, he does so from his perspective as an expert in public relations, rather than strictly as a historian.  Author Hamilton Bean tells Drake’s story and that of Pacific Fleet public relations with sympathy and objectivity. Deeply researched, the book presents those narratives effectively and offers some object lessons to those who are tasked to tell their service’s stories and to inform the citizens of the democracy they serve."—Sea History"Professor Bean does the near-impossible, sharing his thorough research in a wonderfully readable form. He also illustrates the significance of a single US naval officer and his role deciding what the American public would learn about the war in the Pacific during WWII."—Tom Graves, USMC Combat Correspondents Association“Nimitz’s Newsman is a well-crafted biography of newspaper report and naval reservist Waldo Drake. Hamilton Bean tells the story clearly, with an eye for a telling moment and an appreciation of human foibles....It provides greater depth to our understanding of the public relations struggles of the Second World War and some of the instinctive assumptions of U.S. Navy officers of the period. It also explains Drake’s hitherto under-explored role at a critical place and time and is a deeply human story of success and disappointment.”— The Journal of Military History“Hamilton Bean’s unique work in Nimitz’s Newsman is additive to the corpus of World War II history, and I found it a thoroughly engaging read. Bean’s background and expertise in communications offer fair treatment to Drake, a man challenged personally and professionally throughout his life.”— Naval History magazine