The Department of Communication Studies at the University of Iowa traces its roots back to the Department of Speech, which became an autonomous department in 1920. Originally focused on elocution and debate, the department quickly added faculty and courses in drama and theatre, as well as audiology and speech disorders, becoming the Department of Speech and Dramatic Art in 1929. 

Throughout its history, the Department has served as an interdisciplinary hub for innovative teaching and scholarship, spawning the Department of Theatre Arts, the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, and the Department of Cinematic Arts over the years. Today, the Department continues this tradition of innovation in its curriculum, its research, and its collaborations across the campus and the world.

Communication Studies Timeline

  • Department of Speech formed

    1920

  • First MA degree awarded

    1921

    The first Master of Art degree in Speech was awarded to Vera Alice Paul.

    MA thesis: “The Characterization of the Comedy Element in Fifty Widely Used High School Plays”

  • Name changed to Department of Speech and Dramatic Art

    1929

  • First PhD degree awarded

    1930

    The first PhD degree was awarded to William Norwood Brigance.

    PhD dissertation: “Historical and Critical Study of the Life and Speeches of Jeremiah Sullivan Black”

  • Samuel L. Becker hired as instructor

    1950

    Becker would go on to chair the department from 1968-1981 before retiring in 1994

  • Name changed to Department of Communication & Theatre Arts

    1980

  • Department moves to its current location

    1983

  • Department of Theatre Arts becomes an autonomous department

    1986

    Communication & Theatre Arts renamed the Department of Communication Studies

  • Communication Studies building named for Samuel L. Becker

    1993