J. WILLIAM AND MARY DIEDERICH COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION

Administrative History: In the tradition of Jesuit education, both writing and speaking have been important elements in the academic curriculum of Marquette University ever since its opening in 1881. The first courses in journalism were offered in 1910 in the University's College of Economics. That same year speech instruction was organized as a department in the College of Liberal Arts.

In 1915 the University established the College of Journalism as an independent unit (see UNIV C-2). Similarly, the speech program expanded and in 1926 the School of Speech was organized as a division of the University (see UNIV-C-11). In 1973, the school was changed to the College of Speech.

Both colleges, formerly housed in separate campus buildings, were physically relocated in 1975 in the remodeled and renovated Johnston Hall. Here they shared in the facilities common to both academic disciplines. In sharing the facilities and through curriculum studies, the faculties of both colleges found a mutual concern for the growth and place of communication studies.

Consequently, in 1985 a Division of Communication and Performing Arts was created to establish a common year of studies for all entering freshmen in the two colleges. In the fall of 1988, the Division of Communication and Performing Arts and the two colleges were merged into the College of Communication, Journalism and Performing Arts with six departments. In 1994, the name of the college was changed to simply the College of Communication, and in 2005 it was changed to the J. William and Mary Diederich College of Communication in honor of their $28 million gift to benefit the College.

Deans of the College of Communication:
Lori Bergen, 2009-present
Lynn H. Turner (Interim), 2008-2009
John J. Pauly, 2006-2008
Ana C. Garner (Interim), 2005-2006
William R. Elliott, 1996-2005
Michael J. Price (Interim), 1994-1996
Sharon M. Murphy, 1988-1994

Arrangement: This record group is arranged into three main series.
  • Series 1 consists of restricted and unrestricted administrative subject files.
  • Series 2 consists of restricted faculty files.
  • Series 3 consists of materials related to the student experience.
  • Series 4 consists of records relating to the Institute of the Catholic Media.
Restrictions: Access to select records is restricted to designated College of Communication staff. Otherwise, access to these records is unrestricted. However, the researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of these records. Consult an archivist for further information.
Series 1 Administrative Subject Files, 1962-ongoing
Series 1.1 Administrative Subject Files, 1963-ongoing (Restricted: Inventory in Archives)
Series 2.1 Former Faculty Files, 1943-ongoing (Restricted: Inventory in Archives)
Series 3 Student Files, 1920-ongoing
Series 4 Institute of the Catholic Media

Descriptive inventories of the collections are also available in the Department of Special Collections and University Archives.