Slain journalist James Foley honored at Northwestern

EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) -- Friends and family gathered at Northwestern University to remember U.S. journalist James Foley, who was killed by Islamic State extremists in Syria. Foley got his graduate degree from the Medill School of Journalism in 2008.

His mother, Diane Foley, attended the service at Alice Millar Chapel in Evanston. She spoke of her son's passion for education and chronicling the plight of the Syrian people caught in an endless civil war.

"People like Steven Sotloff, Peter Kassig and our son Jim, they need to be valued in our society, they protect our democracy," she said.

Foley was first abducted in Libya in 2011. He was released after 44 days.

In 2012, he was abducted again by militants in Syria. He was killed in August by members of the Islamic State protesting the U.S. intervention in the conflict between Iraq and Syria.

Medill Dean Bradley Hamm says the memorial is a chance for the university and the community to "gather in reflection" on Foley's life.

"Jim had two masters degrees, he was an accomplished teacher, lecturer, he just had so many gifts, and I asked him, 'Jim, when are you going to settle down and find what you really want to do,'" Foley said. "And he said, 'Mom, I found it, this is what I'm meant to be and do.'"

The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved.