In Memoriam, Dr. David Ritchey

Ritchey Ph.D., Professor Emeritus

David

In Memoriam

Edited by Professor Julie Cajigas

David Ritchey, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus

Dr. David Ritchey, a tenured professor of Public Relations at The University of Akron School of Communication for nearly 30 years before his 2018 retirement, passed away after a brief health struggle on April 6, 2024. A lifelong academic, a local theater critic and fan, and a global traveler, who took students on once-in-a-lifetime study abroad trips, Dr. Ritchey was, according to his obituary, an enthusiastic collector of antiques and unique friends.

Dr. Ritchey was known for assigning students to be published in The Buchtelite (thank you Dr. Ritchey for all the reporters you recruited over the years). While many people undoubtedly have fond remembrances of Professor Ritchey, the following few paint a picture of who he was as an educator, a mentor, and a colleague.

Tyler Adams, BA ‘15

Not even two weeks ago, my wife and I were reminiscing about our college experiences. We are both about 10 years removed from our time as undergraduate students – she from Ohio University and I from The University of Akron. While we were reflecting on ourselves and who we have become because of our time in our

respective schools, Kelsey posed this question to me: “Who were some of the most memorable and influential professors (or teachers) you had?”

Almost immediately after she asked this question, the name Dr. David Ritchey was flying out of my mouth. Genuinely, The University of Akron and the people in it carved a path forward in life for me that I would not have been able to travel without them. Dr. Ritchey not only helped to carve that path, but he also gave me something that consequently makes traveling any path much easier: a compass.

For context, I met Dr. Ritchey in the latter half of my undergraduate years. I was entering that pivotal phase of a young, aspirational, soon-tobe college graduate where every decision and moment felt gargantuan. You are simultaneously looking ahead and planning for the “real world” while soaking in every last bit of knowledge, advice, and direction you can in the present. It is at the center of this Dr. Ritchey came into my life – a time where everything felt amplified.

My introduction to him came in the form of his class PR Writing. Through this point, I held onto the belief that the farther you go into your

college education, the longer, more dynamic, and lengthy the writing assignments would become. It made sense, though, right? After a few years in college, I would be expected to test the bounds of my critical thinking and writing skills with a demonstration of marathon typing.

At least that is what I thought entering Dr. Ritchey’s classroom for the first time. Instead, our first assignment was to write a position paper (on a topic of our choosing) in just one page, no less and no more. In fact, Dr. Ritchey said that even a single word on a

(Left) Dr. Ritchey with man’s best friend. photo courtesy of his family. (Right) Dr. Ritchey looks on as his former students, alums Tina Murray and Tyler Adams, connect at the School of Communication’s 40th Anniversary Event. Also pictured are alums Thomas Conti and Caitlin Hull. Photo by Emily Bower.

second page would result in a reduction of our score.

I was thrilled! This is assignment would be a piece of cake!

However, after literally a couple of hours attempting to type out that single page, I was met with a counterintuitive conclusion: writing shorter papers is harder than writing longer essays. I could not satisfy the assignment requirements while staying under two pages. I was dumbfounded.

During our next class with him, I vividly remember he chuckled and said, “Harder than you thought, huh?”

Yes, the context of the writing was important, but Dr. Ritchey’s lesson here went beyond the punctuation and argumentative points in that paper. He taught us that if we wanted to be successful professionals, subsequently public relations professionals, we needed to learn to make our points clearly and succinctly.

In a single stroke, he sharpened my communication and writing skills, gave a me a new blueprint for persuasion, and, most importantly, challenged me and my beliefs –gave me a platform for growth.

For the next year or so leading up to my eventual graduation, I would often visit Dr.

Ritchey during his office hours to pick his brain on a variety of topics, ask for his advice about post-college life, and sometimes just shoot the breeze. One time I brought up this assignment and I asked him why he felt the one-page method was so effective. He joked and said, “It saves me grading time.” A beat later, he said, “Life’s too short to not say what you mean and get what you want. So, say it.”

That was the moment he handed me a compass. Those words have echoed in my head from the moment I heard them, and I have used them as a guidepost to some of the most critical moments in my young life and career. I sincerely do not believe I would be who I am without having crossed paths with Dr. Ritchey. His compass has pointed me in the right direction every time.

Thank you, Dr. Ritchey. Your legacy lives on through your teachings, your students, and your impact. You will be missed but never forgotten.

A beat later, he said, “Life’s too short to not say what you mean and get what you want. So, say it.”

Tyler Adams, BA ‘15

Molly (Howard) Yedinak, BA ‘11

Dr. Ritchey had a huge impact on my time at Akron and taught me so much. I have a very clear memory from my first class with him. I had received my first and only “D” on a paper ever. I must have written “there is” or “there are” too many times (if you had Dr. Ritchey, you know what I mean). But, I truly appreciated his teachings and I am a much better writer now because of him. I think of him often as I edit my own writing at work.

I am sorry to hear of his passing.

Tina M. Murray, MA ‘14

I spent a significant amount of my Masters program studying under Dr. Ritchey’s direction. His passion for all things Public Relations and his stories of his travels are what I will most remember.

(Left) Molly (Howard) Yedinak BA ‘11 and Dr. Ritchey at a PRSA awards event where Molly was receiving an award. Photo courtesy of Yedinak.

Of all of my memories though, by far my favorite will be those on the PR trip to London in 2009 when my husband Ben and I attended.

And what an exciting time it was for us. Upon immediately landing in Heathrow Airport, we caught a taxi and attended a live London-based performance that same day with Dr. Ritchey and Marlene from our program.

We also visited Harrod’s that week and ate at the Green Man’s Pub and ordered our first Haggis! (We’re of Scottish descent, however; it would have been hard to discern that after that meal!).

We attended church that Sunday at Westminster Abbey and then off to lunch at Royal Albert Hall.

Dr. Ritchey made this trip one of the most memorable in all my years of traveling. I still have connections from London to this day thanks to him.

Priscilla Spencer, BA ‘14

Dr. David Ritchey was one of my favorite instructors as an undergraduate student at The University of Akron. I feel extremely fortunate and honored to have been able to learn from such a talented man. His real-life stories would often times overtake the class lecture and I was one of the few students frantically taking notes.

Others may not have realized at the time and would sometimes be frustrated we weren’t going over the book chapter by chapter, but what they failed to realize was that Dr. Ritchey was giving practical real-world knowledge that you cannot always learn from a textbook. Integrating his

love for public relations with his love of traveling, he was one of the most engaging professors I’ve ever learned from. I’m regretful I may not have ever fully told him just how much I enjoyed and appreciated his instruction.

Dr. Andrea M. Ferraro, APR, BA ‘86, MA ‘92, Ph.D. ‘15

I met Dr. David Ritchey in 1991 when I became his teaching assistant in my master’s program in the School of Communication at The University of Akron. I recall an enthusiastic educator who regaled students with his stories from working public relations in the public utilities field in Arkansas and mingling with Bill and Hillary Clinton. He wrote a weekly column on ethics for the local newspaper and was always canvassing business ethics topics to write about.

When I came back to the University in the 2000s as a full-time professor, I got to know better Dr. Ritchey as we worked together on the public relations courses, curriculum, student advising, and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter. He was a friendly and warmhearted colleague, and I am thankful our paths crossed.

Dr. Dudley Turner, Professor Emeritus

I remember interviewing David for his teaching position at The University of Akron. He was coming from a job at a large PR firm in Arkansas, and I thought, “What a great opportunity for our students if we can have someone to share their professional experience.”

Since then, I saw how much he cared to have his students be the best they could be going into

their field.

David traveled internationally as a Fulbright Scholar to China and Romania and brought that experience into his classes. But that wasn’t enough for him – he wanted his students to have international experience themselves. So, for several years, he started taking them to London for a week of presentations from business and government PR professionals. I heard from the student about what a life-changing trip it was.

He was a strict professional in his field, but David was always up for a good joke (and even a bad joke).

He was a friendly and thoughtful colleague. He regularly had ideas to help not only his students, but also the School of

(Left) Dr. Ritchey’s student group outside the US Embassy in London right after meeting its top PR spokesperson. (Center) Visiting Harrods with Marlene, the group’s chaperone that year, were Dr. Ritchey, Tina’s husband Ben and Tina M. Murray, alum. (Right) Tina M. Murray, Dr. David Ritchey and Dr. Tang Tang pose together at the School of Communication’s 40th Anniversary Event.

“His real-life stories would often times overtake the class lecture and I was one of the few students frantically taking notes. Others may not have realized at the time... that Dr. Ritchey was giving practical realworld knowledge that you cannot always learn from a textbook.”

Priscilla Spencer, BA ‘11

Communication. I know it is a better program because of him, and he will be missed.

Dr. Therese Lueck, Professor Emeritus

In bringing Dr. Ritchey into the School of Communication, Dr. Nancy Somerick had a faculty member with a skillset that complemented her own. Drs. Ritchey and Somerick built a professionally driven program, which continues to serve as the foundation for and maintain the popularity of the school’s public relations program.

Dr. Ritchey’s promotion of University of Akron students led many of them to receive recognition for their work, often in the form of prestigious awards and satisfying job experiences. Dr. Ritchey showed his “school spirit” by volunteering for various committees and assignments. So I was pleased, but not surprised, that he stepped up during my year as school director to serve as the Assistant Director of the School of Communication.

David and his engagement with students, colleagues, and the profession will be missed.

Dr. Carolyn M. Anderson, Professor Emeritus

Dr. Ritchey was the first colleague to welcome me to The School of Communication in Akron. He was an outstanding teacher and expert in the field of Public Relations. Students benefited from his lectures and training as they prepared for entry into the marketplace. He was dedicated to helping them succeed. On a personal side, I can say he was always ready to listen and help in times of need. No matter if it was work or personal troubles, one could count on him to have their back. We shared meals now and then, and even holiday celebrations, if we both were alone. David gifted me one of his ink-pen antiques. It is precious. Needless to say, I will miss him, along with the students who loved him.

McKenna Vietmeier, Associate Professor of Instruction

Dr. David Ritchey lived and breathed public relations. He taught many of the core classes in the PR major – most notably PR Cases where he would share stories of PR mishaps and his own PR experience. He was heavily involved in the Public Relations Society of America and was a prolific writer for industry publications, newspapers, and magazines. During his tenure at UA, he was recognized as Mentor of the Year twice, awarded the Distinguished Teacher of the Year by the Speech Communication Association of Ohio, and was named a Fulbright Scholar to

Romania.

David enjoyed traveling immensely and would share colorful stories about his time in Romania. He heavily encouraged his students to explore the world outside of Akron and even took several groups of students to London to study international PR. He also guided many of his students to local and national recognition, including a PR News PR Student of the Year, Outstanding Research Scholars, and many scholarship recipients. David had keen eye for identifying opportunities for students and leading them to success.

To his colleagues, David was an empathetic listener and enthusiastic conversationalist. He would stop in for coffee and a chat with anyone who had their office door open. If you happened to mention a sweet treat you liked, he would pick-up bulk packages of them and place them on your desk with a note of support. He cared deeply about his coworkers, his students, and the PR field as a whole. His legacy will live on in the thousands of students he taught at UA.

Julie Cajigas, Professor of Practice

I will never forget the first time David told me the story of a mistake he made early in his career. He was the public relations person for a school district, typically a low-stakes sort of communication role. Promote the football team’s wins and an occasional difficult budget report or incident of teacher misconduct.

The moment that defined his approach to teaching crisis management, and likely a great part of his career came on the rare and tragic day that his school experienced a bus accident that took the lives of children.

In his inexperience and feeling the urgency and pressure of notifying parents that their children were safe, or that they had lost a child, he jumped ahead with information that later turned out to be inaccurate. Then, he had the unenviable job of correcting the error, which meant telling one family their child who “was safe” had actually passed in the accident.

When he told the story, his face would fill with genuine emotion and sincere regret, even though it happened many years ago. It was the story he used to teach his students patience in the face of panic when they embarked on their careers. It’s a story that I now tell my students when I teach them about managing crises, and is one of several that have become part of my curriculum.

Rest in peace David. Your students will take it from here.

Dr. David Ritchey speaking after receiving an outstanding teaching award.

Photo by Dr. Dudley Turner.

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