Work: Professor (Retired), College of Journalism and Communications, University of Florida
Spouse: George Kelly
2 Children
2 Grandchildren
Information update: 05/03/2021

My life for the last 50 years has been full and gratifying, thanks to my husband George (DCHS 1960). We got married shortly before my graduation and, boy, were we poor! Through our families, we were hired as the resident caretakers of the Duluth Heights Clubhouse, where we lived with our infant daughter Jodie in a tiny apartment above the gym. George dropped out of college and became an ironworker apprentice, who played drums in a band many weekends. I handled most of the caretaking duties for the clubhouse, such as setting up chairs for dances and cleaning the communal bathrooms.

It wasn't the life I had envisioned! I had received a scholarship to go to college (James Wright Hunt, I believe), but fund administrators notified me after graduation that my scholarship was revoked because I was married (indicative of the times, my male classmates who were married retained their scholarships). George saw to it that I got to college anyway. He earned $1,000 from a two-week band job, playing until 1 a.m. after 10-hour days of working construction, and gave half of the money to me, telling me to spend it on whatever I wanted. I registered for three classes at UMD.

George began working in electronics for Litton Industries, we bought our first house in 1963 (for $5,800!), and our second daughter Jennifer was born. We left Duluth in 1968. George's career with Litton took us to Southern California for 4 years and then to Maryland for 17 years. I enrolled in college whenever I could and finally earned my bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Maryland at College Park (UMCP) in 1973. For the next 17 years I had a rewarding career as a public relations practitioner, fundraiser, and university administrator. Some of the positions I held were director of public information for an historically black college, vice president of development and public relations for a private womens college, and associate dean of UMCP's Journalism College. During those 17 years, I also earned two more degrees from UMCP: a master's in journalism with a specialization in public relations and a Ph.D. in public (mass) communication.

With my doctorate and my first book accepted for publication, I decided to pursue a second career as a university educator. I interviewed across the country, a process that was intimidating because few women held tenure-track positions in my discipline and I had serious doubts about moving for a job that would pay about two-thirds my previous salary and at which I might fail. Search committees had their doubts, too. Fortunately, George challenged everyone's doubts. After I came home from one interview trip and told George that the search committee had questioned his willingness to be a "trailing spouse," he simply said: "Damn it! You followed me across the country twice, why wouldn't I follow you?"

In 1991, we packed up and moved to Louisiana, where I began my new career at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. I earned tenure the next year and was promoted to full professor in 1996. In addition to teaching, I was a productive scholar, conducting research and authoring numerous articles and papers. My second book - the first college textbook on fundraising - was published in 1998. In 2003, I was recruited by the University of Florida (UF), a top-tier research university with 50,000 students. I was hired as a tenured professor and chair of UF's Department of Public Relations. In 2004, I was named the year's "Outstanding Educator" by the Public Relations Society of America. I am one of only 10 educators in the nation to receive this award and the two other highest honors in public relations teaching and research.

I currently am a nine-month faculty member, teaching two courses from Tuesdays to Thursdays in the fall and spring semesters, with summers off. George and I spend the three days I teach at our home in Gainesville, four blocks from campus, and the long weekends and summers at our condominium on the Atlantic Ocean in St. Augustine. George, who finished his bachelor's degree in the early 1980s, is retired. With tenure, I get to decide when I'll quit working.

Our daughter Jodie, also a college graduate, is a wonderful working mom. She gave us two beautiful and bright granddaughters, Sarah and Catherine, who, for almost 12 years, have been a constant source of joy. Our daughter Jennifer died at 20 years old, the summer before her senior year in college. Born with prenatal health problems, she was a courageous and delightful child and woman, who accomplished much in her short life. I still miss her every day.

George and I celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary in April 2011. I look forward to catching up with my 1961 classmates at our 50th High School Reunion!