Robert P. Newman: American Don

Abstract

For more than three decades, Robert P. Newman has been a distinguished professor of rhetoric and public address at the University of Pittsburgh. Though now retired, he continues to teach graduate seminars and to pursue an ambitious research program. His success in teaching graduate students is owed in part to his own original and creative scholarship. His books and articles on Cold War rhetoric and the materials and methods of argumentation have inspired his students to explore these important areas further. His method of instruction challenges his students intellectually as it develops their individuality as scholars. His scholarship, teaching and character establish a model of professional conduct against which to judge one's own teaching and research.

Key concepts:

• Robert P. Newman
• teaching effectiveness
• graduate instruction
• credibility
• ethos
• doctoral studies
• speech pedagogy
• Socratic method
• academic standards