the presence of gr, my pal

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This article was downloaded by: [University of Nebraska, Lincoln] On: 17 October 2014, At: 16:49 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Communication Studies Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rcst20 The presence of Gr, My Pal Walt Fisher a a Professor in the Annenberg School of Communication , University of Southern California Published online: 22 May 2009. To cite this article: Walt Fisher (1999) The presence of Gr, My Pal, Communication Studies, 50:3, 251-252, DOI: 10.1080/10510979909388493 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10510979909388493 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/ terms-and-conditions

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Page 1: The presence of Gr, My Pal

This article was downloaded by: [University of Nebraska, Lincoln]On: 17 October 2014, At: 16:49Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House,37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

Communication StudiesPublication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rcst20

The presence of Gr, My PalWalt Fisher aa Professor in the Annenberg School of Communication , University of Southern CaliforniaPublished online: 22 May 2009.

To cite this article: Walt Fisher (1999) The presence of Gr, My Pal, Communication Studies, 50:3, 251-252, DOI:10.1080/10510979909388493

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10510979909388493

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in thepublications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representationsor warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Anyopinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not theviews of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should beindependently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses,actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoevercaused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematicreproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyoneis expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

Page 2: The presence of Gr, My Pal

Communication Studies, 50(3) (Fall 1999), 251-252

THE PRESENCE OF GR, MY PAL

WALT FISHER

G . R. was not G. R. when I arrived on the Iowa campus in the autumn of 1957. Hewas Gerry Miller. But even then, he was a presence, not only because he had been

at Iowa for some time, having earned his BA and MA degrees there (in PoliticalScience), but also because he had already established himself as an exceptional teacherand an intellect of the first order. In addition, there was his dominating personality andhis forceful way of presenting himself. He did not like it too much when I nicknamedhim the "Muscatine Mouth." Fortunately, the name never took, and we got along fine.In fact, I think that I was closer to him than any of our cohort. And the cohort was apretty good line-up: Bob Bostrom, John Bowers, Lloyd Bitzer, Bob Tiemans, HarryZavos-to note just a few. It was, as we keep telling Sam Becker, the Golden Age at TheAthens of the Midwest, Iowa.

Much later, when G. R. was G. R., when he was truly a presence—a distinguishedscholar, teacher, editor, and administrator—I had breakfast with him at an NCAconvention. We reminisced, and I asked him why there was no G. R. theory ofcommunication. He said that grand theory was not his forte. "On the other hand," Isaid, "you have been an intellectual catalyst for social science research in communica-tion since we were at Iowa." "Well," he said, "that's right." "My role has been to be atthe forefront in the advancement of any idea that would give direction to communica-tion research that would make a positive difference in the lives of individuals andsociety."

G. R. was different from many others who converted and followed the faith ofbehavioral science. He was broader in his outlook, more knowledgeable and moreappreciative of ideas from other faiths, including rhetorical studies. There are twoimportant factors that account for his breadth.

First there was the education we were privileged to receive at Iowa. We all tookcourses across the discipline-from speech education to speech pathology, from dra-matic theory to social science theory and research, and from public address torhetorical theory and criticism. And each of us had to be tested (I won't say master) twolanguages and complete a cognate line of study (Psychology for GR, History for me).Second, and most important, was G. R.'s innate humanity, his love of good ideas andthose who espoused them.

I cannot say that G. R. was always sanguine about the courses we had to take.There was, for instance, the summer seminar that we took in British Public Address.We had a study group that included a fellow from the Art Department who waspursuing a PHD in our program, Orazio Fumagalli, was even less impressed with thecourse than G. R. As we all were walking up to Shaeffer Hall to take our final examOrazio, in true Churchillian cadences, pronounced these immortal words: "I havenever studied less, I have never known less, and I have never cared less." G. R.'sresponse was a stentorian "Hear! hear!." We all survived the course, and it was a goodone. I have to take this position because the paper I wrote in it was my first publishedarticle [Speech Monographs, 1959).

Walt Fisher (PhD., University of Iowa, 1960) is a Professor in the Annenberg School of Communication,University of Southern California.

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252 COMMUNICATION STUDIES

G. R. did well in the class, very well. As everyone who knew him knows, he hadjust a touch of competitiveness about him, and it extended to activities outside theclassroom. If you did not know him, or if you disbelieve it, ask anyone who ever playedpoker or pool with him. He even had a system for beating the odds at horse racingtracks. One year when he was out in California, we went to the Santa Anita Race Track.I do not know what his system was, but G. R. won something like $500.00 and I—everventuresome—won something close to $50.00 following his lead. Wé smoked giantcigars, and had a grand time.

Earlier I noted that G. R. was an intellectual catalyst. I cannot imagine that anyonewould dispute this characterization, especially those who knew him or followed hiswork over the years. Consider the most salient of his research topics: open and closedmindedness, counterattitudinal advocacy, source credibility, fear appeals, deception,communication in legal settings, and interpersonal communication. If anyone wantedto do research during his time, or wants to do it now, G. R. has shown the path topursue.

Earlier I also noted G. R.'s range of interests. In 1963, he wrote an article titled"Thomas Baker: A Skeptic's Attack on Rhetoric." He published several articles onsyllogistic reasoning, and his first book was Perspectives on Argumentation, edited withThomas R. Nilsen. I had the lead chapter (with Edward Sayers, a philosophercolleague). This project was the first, but not the last, in which G. R. and I wereinvolved. As editor of a book in honor of Donald C. Bryant, I published a chapter byG. R., who, in addition, was instrumental in getting the book published by MichiganState University Press. The book was titled Rhetoric: A Tradition in Transition. Then, in1978, as editor of the Western Journal of Speech Communication, I published an article byGR and Charles Berger. And, when G. R. was editor of Communication Monographs, hepublished two of my essays introducing what I call the narrative paradigm. Finally,G. R. invited me to give a presentation in the Michigan State University Department ofCommunication. I still wonder—has any other rhetorician spoken there? (Ed. note: tomy knowledge, yes)

This short piece is evidence of G. R's continuing presence. His leadership isreflected in all the professional offices he held, the awards he won, and the honors nowbestowed in his name. If the "impossible dream" he often sang about-and boy did hesing-was being the best in his field, he achieved his dream, and for that we can all begrateful.

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