In Memoriam: Frederick J. Kauffeld

Fred Kauffeld, who died Thursday, April 13, was a towering presence in argumentation studies, in every sense of that word. As a scholar of both communication and philosophy, he served as a bridge between those two fields, transferring clarity in both directions.

A Kansas debater, Fred was coached by Wil Linkugel and partnered with Tom Beisecker for two years. At one Kansas tournament, Fred debated in a library basement where the ceiling was less than 6'6", cramping his style.

Fred received his PHD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, completing his dissertation under the direction of Lloyd Bitzer. The rigorous approach to speech act theory he developed in this early work laid the basis for generalized versions of concepts foundational to debate, including presumption and burden of proof, as well as a concept foundational to communication: persuasive force. These became his toolkit for a series of fine-grained analyses of public addresses from Cicero to civil rights. Fred's work was key in establishing the normative pragmatic program on argumentation, which he shared in keynotes at the Alta Argumentation Conference and at other conferences and workshops internationally. Fred relished travel, meeting new colleagues, and as an open-handed host himself, feasts where the "R word" (rhetoric) would not be mentioned.

A faculty member at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin since 1976, Fred's efforts led to the creation of the college's Communication Studies program. Until his retirement in 2014, his colleagues' and administrators' respect for his practical wisdom drew him into almost every aspect of campus life. Fred served over the years as department chair, Faculty Association convener, and board of trustees' representative, as well as a member of the curriculum, budget, vision, scholarship, faculty affairs, master planning, library, and by-laws committees.

If scholarship produces students, then Fred was a teacher whose influence extended far beyond his college classrooms. Many of us have experienced the benefits of his meticulous writing and the thoughtful, patient instruction of his conversations, not to mention his sharp wit which was as dry as the gin he liked to drink. So we will want to join today in remembering a man whose generosity of spirit was matched only by his immense learning.  He is survived by his wife Christine Beatty.

John Fields, Edgewood College

Jean Goodwin, NC State University

Hans Hansen, University of Windsor

Beth Innocenti, University of Kansas

Christopher Tindale, University of Windsor