Dr. Wardrip was one of the professors in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications who truly impacted me in my time at Carolina. Dr. Wardrip was everything an educator should be; challenging yet welcoming, intelligent, fair and always willing to spare a few extra moments for a student, past or present. Dr. Wardrip taught us all a great deal about the advertising and PR disciplines in the classroom, but he taught us a great deal about life outside the classroom as well.

I can honestly say that I would not be the individual (personally and professionally) that I am today, if I would not have had the pleasure and privilege of knowing Dr. Jon Wardrip.

Although Dr. Wardrip has passed, he is far from gone, as I know his legacy, as well as his grit and determination will live on in his former students.

Prof. Wardrip was an “icon” in the J-school when I first started. Little did I know how fond I would become of this man. If there was one teacher who was always there for his students, it was him. He cared about us succeeding and would do everything he could to make our dream come true. Whether busy, sick or just having a bad day, he was always there to lend an ear and give his advice, although we sometimes thought he had no idea what he was talking about.

I got to know this man really well by serving on the advertising team. The group did not always see eye to eye with him, but we soon learned to trust him and come over to his side. He was not only there for me when I needed academic and life advice, but also when my dad was sick and in the hospital. Even after graduation, he was continuously there for me. Whenever I needed advice, he was there. He helped me get into grad school, and eventually, gave me the reference that pushed me over the top to get the job I truly wanted, three years after graduation.

Prof. Wardrip certainly left footprints in my life that I will never forget. He pushed me to be the person he always knew I could be. It amazes me how this one person could affect so many people’s lives. I think God was ready to stop sharing him with us in order to put him to work on greater things for Him.

Jon was on the search committee that brought me to Texas Tech University in 1984. He, Jim Marra and Alex Tan all convinced me that Tech offered an outstanding opportunity and I couldn’t find a better place to be despite it’s location in far west Texas. Two years later they had all left for greener (and I do mean greener) pastures and left me there. I never got tired of teasing Jon about that and he never tired of teasing me back.

Jon was a wonderful friend and a great help to me as I learned to speak “Texacan.” I was impressed with his fertile imagination and his dedication to ad/pr education and to students. He was a great colleague and a dear friend.

Lee Wenthe mentioned the “whine” and cheese party we had at AEJMC in Portand, Oregon. What Lee didn’t know is that on one day of the convention Jim Marra, Hower Hsia and I played hooky and rented a car so we could see some of the spectacular scenery around Portland. Jon refused to go with us because he was a discussant for a research paper session the next day and he wanted to be prepared for the session. He was one of the best discussants in the ad division and thoroughly prepared.

Jon always had a big smile and a wonderful sense of humor. Unfortunately, we didn’t keep in as close touch as we might have over the years, but he and Dottie will always remain in my heart.

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