Abstract
Terry Dalton
Terence A. “Terry” Dalton, a longtime professor of journalism at McDaniel College, died Friday, January 27, 2017, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, of Alzheimer’s disease. He was 71.
Dalton received his master’s degree in journalism from Penn State University. He began his career as a reporter, covering courts and both state and national politics for the Centre Daily Times in Pennsylvania.
He moved into the academy in 1985 with a position at Castleton State College in Vermont. He moved to McDaniel College in 1990, where he expanded the journalism program. He taught courses in newswriting, public affairs reporting, media ethics, and politics, and founded a chapter of the Society of Collegiate Journalists. He also served as the advisor to the student newspaper. He retired in 2012.
Dalton was an active member of Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) for many years and helped found the Small Programs Interest Group for educators at smaller institutions.
In addition to his wife, Kathy, and his three sons, Andrew Dalton of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Trevin Dalton of Alexandria, Virginia, and Brendan Dalton of York, Pennsylvania, he is survived by a brother, Dennis Dalton of Portland, Oregon, and three grandchildren.
Melvin L. DeFleur
Melvin DeFleur, a renowned mass communication scholar, died Monday, February 13, 2017. He was 93.
A distinguished professor at the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University, DeFleur joined the school in 2004 after retiring from the College of Communication at Boston University.
DeFleur wrote more than a dozen books over his 50-year academic career; his work is considered the gold standard at mass communication schools around the world. DeFleur’s Theories of Mass Communication textbook has been translated into 10 languages. Understanding Mass Communication, cowritten with Everette Dennis, has gone through eight editions since it was first published in 1981.
He received his PhD in social psychology from the University of Washington and promptly joined the faculty at Indiana University. DeFleur received the AEJMC Paul J. Deutschmann Award for Excellence in Research in 2003. He was also recognized by AEJMC in 1999 for his book Milestones in Mass Communication Research, which was honored as one of the 10 most significant books of the 20th century.
Born in Portland, Oregon, DeFleur joined the U.S. Marine Corps before the outbreak of World War (WW) II and rose to the rank of Sergeant. His experiences in the war led him to further his education and become a social scientist to improve society. He was a commercial pilot, a fisherman, and a painter.
He is survived by his wife, Margaret “Peggy” DeFleur, and his stepson, Michael Kubecka.