James W. Chesebro (June 24, 1944 - January 21, 2020) was Distinguished Professor of

Telecommunications Telecommunication, often used in its plural form or abbreviated as telecom, is the transmission of information over a distance using electronic means, typically through cables, radio waves, or other communication technologies. These means of ...

in the Department of Telecommunications at

Ball State University Ball State University (Ball State or BSU) is a public research university in Muncie, Indiana, United States. The university has three off-campus centers in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and Fishers, Indiana. The university is composed of seven aca ...

. He received his

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

from the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

in 1972. Chesebro played a key role in renaming the Speech Communication Association to the National Communication Association in 1996 to better reflect the intellectual diversity of its members and promote public understanding of the association. He was committed to integrating multiculturalism into the communication discipline, and his advocacy significantly shaped the direction of the association during his tenure.

Previous educational institutions

Chesebro taught at several institutions, including: *

Indiana State University Indiana State University (ISU) is a public university in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States. It was founded in 1865 and offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 75 graduate and professional programs. Indiana State is classified ...

North Dakota State University North Dakota State University (NDSU, formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota, United States. It was ...

George Mason University George Mason University (GMU) is a Public university, public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., the university is named in honor of George Mason, a Founding Father ...

* Queens College of the

City University of New York The City University of New York (CUNY, pronounced , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven ...

University of Puerto Rico The University of Puerto Rico (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Universidad de Puerto Rico;'' often shortened to UPR) is the main List of state and territorial universities in the United States, public university system in the Commonwealth (U.S. i ...

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...

* Concordia College

Specialization

In the discipline of communication, Chesebro specialized in the study of media as symbolic and cognitive systems. From 1966, he maintained a sustained focus on dramatistic theory, methods and criticism with specific applications to television and

computer-mediated communication Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is defined as any human communication that occurs through the use of two or more electronic devices. While the term has traditionally referred to those communications that occur via computer-mediated forma ...

. From 1981, this orientation was extended to all media systems, with conceptual attention devoted to media literacy and media technologies as communication and cognitive systems, a perspective reflected in both his teaching and research.

Professional service

* President of the Eastern Communication Association (1982-1983) * Editor of ''Communication Quarterly'' (1985-1987) * Chair of the NCA's Publications Board (1986-1988) * Director of Education Services, National Office of the National Communication Association, July 1989 to July 1992 * President of the National Communication Association (1996) * Editor of the NCA journal ''Critical Studies in Media Communication'' (1999-2001) * Editor of the National Communication Association (NCA) online journal ''Review of Communication'' (2004-2006)

Books

Chesebro published several books, including * ''Public Policy Decision-Making: Systems Analysis and Comparative Advantages Debate'' (Harper & Row, 1973) * ''Orientations to Public Communication'' (Science Research Associates, 1976) * ''Gayspeak: Gay Male and Lesbian Communication'' (Pilgrim Press, 1981) * ''Computer-Mediated Communication: Human Relationships in a Computerized World'' (University of Alabama Press, 1989) * ''Analyzing Media: Communication Technologies as Symbolic and Cognitive Systems'' (Guilford Press, 1996) * ''Extensions of the Burkeian System'' (University of Alabama Press, 2006) * ''Methods of Rhetorical Criticism: A Twentieth-Century Perspective'' (Roxbury, 2007) * ''A Century of Transformation: Studies in the Honor of the 100th Anniversary of the ECA'' (Oxford University Press, 2009) * ''Communicating Gender and Power'' (Waveland Press, 2011)

Articles

Chesebro published over 100 articles in communication journals such as the ''Quarterly Journal of Speech'', ''Critical Studies in Mass Communication'', ''Communication Monographs'', ''Communication Education'' and ''Text and Performance Quarterly'' as well as the ''Journal of Popular Culture'' and the computer science journal ''Intel's Innovator''.

Awards

Chesebro received numerous awards throughout his career, including: * NCA's Golden Anniversary Award for the outstanding monograph of the year 1985. * NCA's Samuel L. Becker Distinguished Service Award 1997. * Robert J. Kibler Memorial Award for "demonstrated dedication to excellence, commitment to the profession, concern for others, visions of what could be, acceptance of diversity, and forthrightness" 2001. * Everett Lee Hunt Award for Outstanding Scholarship, presented by the Eastern Communication Association in 1989 and 1997. * Kenneth Burke Society's Life-Time Achievement Award, 1999. The Eastern Communication Association presented him with its most prestigious awards including its Everett Lee Hunt Scholarship Award in 1989 and again in 1997, identified him as one of its Distinguished Research Fellows in 1996 and Distinguished Teaching Fellows in 1998. In 1993, he received the National Kenneth Burke Society's Distinguished Service Award and its National Kenneth Burke Society's Life-Time Achievement Award 1999. At Indiana State University, he was awarded the President's Medal for "exemplary performance as a faculty member" in 1999 and was identified as the 2001 Distinguished Professor of the College of Arts and Sciences.

References

External links

Personal website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chesebro, James University of Minnesota alumni Indiana State University faculty North Dakota State University faculty George Mason University faculty Temple University faculty Queens College, City University of New York faculty Ball State University faculty Communication theorists 1944 births 2020 deaths