James B. Steele (B.A. '67, H.D. '04) is an American investigative journalist and author. For 40 years, he and writing collaborator Donald L. Barlett wrote for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Time and Vanity Fair and authored nine books. They were awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1975 for the series "Auditing the IRS" and again in 1989 for the series "The Great Tax Giveaway."

Steele began his career at The Kansas City Times while he attended UMKC. He recently was in Kansas City, where he delivered remarks to launch Blue & Bold: The Campaign for UMKC, and also spoke to a pre-journalism class at UMKC. Steele talked about how his career and life were shaped by his education at UMKC.

You’ve won two Pulitzer Prizes and built a legendary career in investigative journalism. How did UMKC help shape that path?

UMKC was pivotal for me. I came here in 1964 while working full-time as a young reporter at The Kansas City Times. I’d take classes in the morning, then go cover crime, politics and civic events until midnight. It wasn’t easy, but the teachers here pushed me. They challenged my thinking and demanded more of me. What I learned about research, organization and discipline at UMKC became the foundation for everything I did later as an investigative reporter.

You’ve mentioned an influential experience with a professor who steered you away from Hemingway and toward Faulkner. What did that lesson mean to you?

(Laughs.) Yes, that was my senior special readings course. I wanted to write about Hemingway — I’d read everything he wrote. My adviser saw through that and said: ‘You already know Hemingway. Why not Faulkner?’ I resisted. I didn’t like Faulkner back then. But he stood his ground. So I dove in and, much to my surprise, came to admire Faulkner deeply. That experience taught me a lifelong lesson: education isn’t about doing only what you like. It’s about being nudged into uncomfortable territory and discovering something new about yourself.

You often say that UMKC taught you how to think for yourself. What do you mean by that?

My English and history professors didn’t let us take the easy way out. They taught me how to research, how to analyze and how to structure complex information. In journalism, you’re constantly sifting through records, data, interviews — trying to make sense of it all. That’s what UMKC prepared me for. Historical research and long papers sound tedious, but they trained me to ask questions and keep digging until I found the truth.

You’re known for your meticulous research with your late writing partner, Donald Barlett. What draws you to that side of journalism?

Research is the most rewarding part. It’s like working a jigsaw puzzle — one piece doesn’t mean much by itself, but as you collect the others, the full picture emerges. It’s not glamorous. One Swedish journalist once wrote that Barlett and Steele were ‘about as exciting as watching paint dry.’ (Laughs.) But the results are anything but dull. Facts can be dramatic. They tell stories of power, policy and people — how decisions made at the top affect everyday Americans. That’s what keeps me at it.

Your work in the early 1990s predicted the decline of America’s middle class, long before it became conventional wisdom. How do you see that work today?

Back then, our analysis of tax, employment and trade data showed that the American middle class was shrinking. It was controversial at the time, but it’s undeniable now. The causes are still debated, but the trend is clear. It reinforced for me that facts — cold, hard facts — are essential to understanding our society. As I like to say, facts are the road to the truth.

When you think about UMKC today, what stands out to you?

The campus still feels like an intellectual haven — green, welcoming, solid. The library was my favorite place. It was where I learned to love research. Coming back reminded me how much the university gave me, not just academically but personally. I wouldn’t have been able to attend without working my way through, and that’s why I believe in scholarships and professorships — investments in human potential. Education is about helping human beings grow.

What are your thoughts on the Blue & Bold campaign?

I admire that the Blue & Bold campaign goes beyond funding bricks and mortar — it’s about investing in human beings. It strengthens lives by supporting scholarships and professorships, creating opportunities that change futures. For me, it’s also deeply personal. It connects my own journey to today’s students. I wouldn’t have been able to attend college without UMKC’s support, especially while helping to support my family — just as so many students are doing now.

What advice would you give today’s students?

First, give your teachers some slack. When they push you, they’re doing you a favor. That’s how learning happens. Be patient and open to being challenged. Second, use the library — really use it. Explore, read, experiment. And if you want to write, read everything: the good, the bad, the brilliant. You learn by seeing how others put words and ideas together. There’s nothing quite like reading a master at work.

You’ve called UMKC “the place where I got what I needed.” What did you mean by that?

It reminds me of Mick Jagger’s line: ‘You can’t always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need.’ I didn’t always realize it then, dragging myself to class after a long shift at the newspaper, but UMKC gave me exactly what I needed: teachers who cared, who made me think harder and dig deeper. They helped me build the foundation that carried me through my entire career. For that, I’ll always be grateful.

You ended your UMKC remarks with a story about French writer André Maurois. Why did it resonate with you?

Maurois taught briefly here in the 1940s and wrote that he would ‘miss this lovely spot and these mutual friendships.’ That line captures what I feel, too. Like him, I left Kansas City but carried its influence with me for decades. Returning to UMKC reminded me that what happens here — the mentoring, the curiosity, the drive to understand — stays with you for life. And that’s something worth celebrating.

Finally, what keeps you motivated after a lifetime in journalism?

The pursuit of truth. The belief that facts matter. That’s what journalism — and education — are really about. They’re both acts of faith in the idea that, given enough light, people will see clearly. And it all started for me here at UMKC.

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