The School of Journalism was founded in 1937. In 1987, the School of Journalism and the Department of Telecommunications merged to form the present School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The key dates in the evolution of the School are listed below.
| 1926 | The Kent Stater student newspaper is born. |
| 1927 | The first journalism courses are taught in the English Department. |
| 1932 | Department of Journalism and Publicity formed in the newly created College of Liberal Arts. |
| 1935 | The first broadcast radio course, "Radio Speaking," is taught in the Speech Department. |
| 1936 | William David Taylor named head of the Journalism Department. |
| 1937 | Journalism program becomes the first four-year, non-teacher education major at Kent State. |
| 1937 | News photography added to the journalism program. |
| 1938 | Northeast Ohio Scholastic Press Association (NOSPA) program established at Kent. |
| 1939 | Jargon, the School's alumni publication, is born. |
| 1940 | The departments of journalism, speech (future academic home of broadcasting), music and art are upgraded to School status in the College of Liberal Arts. |
| 1947 | Program for public relations practitioners begins in School of Journalism. |
| 1948 | Walton D. Clarke hired to teach radio courses and to head new Division of Radio in the School of Speech. Clarke is credited with building Kent State's broadcasting program. |
| 1949 | WKSU-AM, the first Kent State radio station goes on the air. |
| 1949 | Newspaper Management sequence moved from School of Business to the School of Journalism. |
| 1950 | WKSU-FM goes on the air. |
| 1959 | The school of speech (and division of radio), journalism, music, home economics and technology become part of the new College of Fine and Professional Arts. |
| 1960 | Division of Radio moves to the new Music and Speech Center building. |
| 1965 | School of Journalism accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism. |
| 1966 | School of Journalism moves into the new Taylor Hall building. |
| 1968 | WKSU-TV Channel 2 inaugurated on Kent campus. |
| 1987 | School of Journalism merges with Division of Telecommunication to become School of Journalism and Mass Communication. |
| 1996 | Poynter Institute selects Kent JMC faculty to participate in a week-long seminar on the JMC curriculum of the future. This is the genesis of a new curriculum for the 21st century that focuses on multimedia courses designed to prepare students for careers on paper, on air and on line. |
| 1997 | TV2 seen on cable |
| 1997 | Professional Advisory Board is Formed |
| 2001 | Carl E. Hirsch Media Convergance Laboratory Opens |
| 2007 | Moved into renovated Franklin Hall |