Debate Team / Robert Orr Weiss (Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences) papers

Robert Weiss is Emeritus Professor of Communication and Theatre at DePauw University. He is the former Chair of the Department, and for many years served as coach of the nationally recognized Debate Team. Dr. Weiss remains active at DePauw with the Undergraduate Communication Honors Conference, at campus presentations, and with faculty research groups. Professor Emeritus Robert O. Weiss (Ph.D., Northwestern 1954). Dr. Weiss was the Director of Debate at DePauw almost his entire career (1955-1997). He was the President of Delta Sigma Rho/Tau Kappa Alpha, the forensics honorary, from 1983-85. Much beloved by his students and colleagues, "Doc" received the prestigious Tucker Award from DePauw University in 1995, and in 1999 he was recogized by the American Association of University Professors for his "long and distinguished membership" (50 years) at its Annual Convention in Washington D.C. Also in 1999, the National Communication Association recognized Professor Weiss with its highest honor, the Presidential Award. In 2007, Professor Weiss received the E.R. Nichols Award from Pi Kappa Delta, the forensics honorary, for "outstanding contributions to the futherance of the forensics discipline." Professor Weiss is the author of a highly regarded book on debate, Public Argument, which was first published in 1995.