In Memoriam: James Carey

May 24, 2006
by:

James W. Carey, dean emeritus of the College of Communications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, died May 23 at the age of 71.


Revered and world-renowned as a communications scholar, Carey also was an author and editor, media critic and journalism advocate, and university professor, adviser and administrator. Most recently he was a professor in the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University and the founder of the Ph.D. program in communications there.


Carey earned two degrees from the University of Illinois, a master's degree in advertising in 1959 and a Ph.D. in communications in 1963.


At the U of I, he served as a professor of journalism from 1963 to 1967, director of the Institute of Communications Research from 1969 to 1976, and from 1979 to 1992, dean of the College of Communications.


"I have been blessed with membership on the faculty of two fine institutions: briefly at the University of Iowa and over a considerable period at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign," Carey wrote in the acknowledgement section of his 1989 book, "Communication as Culture: Essays on Media and Society."


"Carey is a unique American treasure," Norman Denzin, head of the UI Department of Advertising, once said.


"He was a magical teacher," said Nicholas Lemann, dean of the journalism school at Columbia University. "He loved journalists and believed that universities have something important to teach us."


Lemann credits Carey for having fostered an atmosphere at Columbia " ... where professional scholars and professional journalists live in true harmony, friendship, mutual respect and collaboration. That's a rare and precious gift"


"Jim Carey was a giant among those who study the role of journalism in our society," said Ronald Yates, dean of the UI College of Communications. "He provided incredibly clear analyses of the way the news media function in a democracy. Even though Jim was very much a classic academic, he could take complex issues and make them comprehensible to the broadest possible audience outside the realm of academia. That was truly a gift. His insights and lucid commentary will be terribly missed."


Carey's thoughtful study of the media provides a rich legacy to communications students, who benefit from his insight on the media's role in preserving and fostering democracy, the press as a facilitator of cultural conversation and the impact of technology on journalism. His ideas continue to spawn valuable classroom discussions and serve as a cornerstone for students attempting to understand the history of journalism and their role in it.


Carey died in his sleep at his family's home in Wakefield, R.I. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth (Bette) Gilman Carey, and four sons, William, Timothy, Daniel and Matthew.


Visitation will be held on May 26 at Nardolillois Funeral Home in Narragansett, R.I, and a funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on May 27 at St. Francis of Assisi in Wakefield.


In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the James Carey Memorial Fund at the University of Illinois Foundation.