Dr. Wardrip, was without a doubt, the reason I chose
to make advertising
my profession. As a junior at USC, I had the privilege
of taking his Intro
to Advertising class and was instantly smitten. Not only
with advertising
as a business but by the infectious enthusiasm that Dr.
Wardrip brought to
every aspect of his class.
Several years, and jobs later, Dr. Wardrip approached
me about speaking
with his Maymester class during their visit to New
York. I was flattered—knowing that the person
who helped me pursue my career now wanted me to
speak with his students. I was always impressed with
how inquisitive,
knowledgeable and respectful (not to mention snappy
dressers) Jon's classes
were. No wonder it was such an easy sell to our HR
department year after
year to welcome USC to the agency. But what struck
me was that once again
Jon taught me something very valuable—the wonderful
feeling of impacting
people's lives in a positive way through teaching.
Thank you Dr. Wardrip— for your impact on my life
and for telling me how
proud you were of me. I know that wherever you are,
you are at peace and
smiling down at everyone—waiting to teach us something
else—like where
the best clouds are in heaven. |
I didn't have the pleasure of having Dr. Wardrip as a professor
until my senior year, but that summer started both a longstanding
fascination with market research and a friendship that I'll always
remember. I took Dr. Wardrip's Market Research class during the summer,
so it seems like I spent a lot of time with him in class and immersed
in the topic. The knowledge I've used throughout my career as I've
designed surveys and focus groups; memories of the friendship, I'll
have forever.
I usually contacted Dr. Wardrip when I had questions
about market research design, which wasn't so often,
or when I changed jobs, which when trying to make a mark in the non-profit
world, was
a little more often. He was always very supportive
and offered great advice as I started each new venture. When I took
my current position
at Keep the Midlands Beautiful, we had a chance to
work together, which was really great. He actually assigned his Campaigns
class to do a campaign
for Keep the Midlands Beautiful, and it was one of
the few times that he had assigned a non-profit as a client. That
was one of the first
times that I felt like a sure enough "grown-up" - actually
working with one of my college professors on a professional basis. (I
was a little nervous, too!)
Dr. Wardrip was a big anti-litter/beautification advocate,
so we often sent e-mails back and forth about the amount
of litter on the roads or the proliferation of signs
in the area. (He volunteered
with his neighborhood Adopt-A-Highway group; I bet
if there's Adopt-A-Highway in Heaven, he's the new
group leader!) During his last visit to Duke,
I received an e-mail that said,"Hey, gotta tell you something.
We sure are a lot "cleaner-looking" state than North Carolina
is." I was so surprised that despite all he was going through,
he took the time to e-mail me about litter. But that's
just the kind of person he was.
I was cleaning up my Outlook Contacts earlier this
week and ran across Dr. Wardrip's name and contact
information. Somehow, I just couldn't bear to delete
it. Even though he's
no longer here with
us, I still feel like he's not so far away.
Thanks, Dr. Wardrip, for your knowledge, your friendship
and for your service. |
Jon Wardrip was one of the only professors I had that made me
feel important as an individual in a class of hundreds.
He's one of the few that encouraged me to take a path less traveled,
and just a few years after graduation I own and publish the Columbia
City Paper with a current USC Journalism student.
Wardrip was special and he brought out the best in his students.
He is a great loss to all of us. His enthusiasm,
encouragement and appreciation for the little things
live on.
Paul Blake (SJMC 2000)
publisher, Columbia City Paper |
| I was so sorry to hear about the passing of
Professor Wardrip. I graduated from the USC public
relations program in 1992. I remember when Prof. Wardrip
met with me to talk about whether I should major in public
relations or media arts. He helped me figure out a way to double major
and get degrees in both in the least amount of time. Though I only had
one class with him, he took the time to make sure I'd explore every
option and not miss any opportunities that USC could provide. He will
be greatly missed.
Caroline Wallinger (SJMC 1992)
production coordinator, NGM Editors,
National Geographic magazine
|
