Making the Case: Advocacy and Judgment in Public Argument

Acknowledgments

xv Acknowledgments • W ith a single exception, the essays in this volume are based on papers originally presented at the conference “Justification, Reason, and Action: Tradition and Innovation in Public Argument ” held at Northwestern University in May 2009. The occasion of the conference was the retirement from full-time teaching of David Zarefsky , former dean of the School of Speech at Northwestern and longtime leader in the field of rhetorical and communication studies. Though held in honor of Zarefsky, the conference itself was focused on specific topics of enduring interest in the field of rhetorical studies, since Zarefsky had given explicit instructions that the conference was not to be “about me.” Long a leader in such areas as rhetorical history, rhetorical criticism, argumentation theory, and intercollegiate debate, Professor Zarefsky’s work has inspired not only his own students but also scholars throughout North America, Europe, and the Middle East. The conference organizers—Kathryn M. Olson, Michael William Pfau, Benjamin Ponder, and Kirt H. Wilson—chose to invite scholars who represented the broad range of Professor Zarefsky’s interests. Instead of including just Zarefsky’s former students or colleagues, the organizers sought out scholars working on the cutting edge of those issues that had occupied Zarefsky’s career for decades—the rhetoric of the Civil War and Reconstruction, the discourse of Abraham Lincoln, the rhetoric of war, presidential rhetoric, and the functioning of argument in particular situations. The conference thus featured noted scholars from across the nation. Two of the conference presentations—one by Edward Schiappa of the University of Minnesota and one by Gordon Mitchell and Kathleen M. McTigue of the University of Pittsburgh—were unavailable for inclusion in this volume. Their contributions to the conversation at the conference were significant, and we thank them for their participation. In their stead, we are pleased to include the chapter by G. Thomas Goodnight of the Annenberg School for Journalism and Communication at the University of Southern California. Professor Goodnight was in attendance at the conference but did not present this research as part of the conference program because he had been invited to be a banquet speaker. The idea for the conference originated with Robert Hariman, chair of the Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University. We are indebted to Professor Hariman, the Department of Communication Studies, and the School of Communication at Northwestern not only for the original idea, but also for financially supporting and hosting the conference. We also extend our thanks to all those who served as panel chairs, discussants, or respondents, as well as to those whose attendance and lively discussions made the conference a success—and this book a reality. Special thanks are due to Martin J. Medhurst for his advice and encouragement on this project, to the anonymous reviewers, and to the staff at Michigan State University Press. xvi Acknowledgments ...