Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
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History of SLHS
The program in Speech Pathology at Purdue University began in 1935, when Professor M.D. Steer joined the faculty. Its primary function at that time was to provide remedial services to those university students who had deviant speech skills. A year later, an undergraduate academic training program was started. The graduate program began in 1940. In its earlier years, the program was part of the Department of English. In 1947, the program was introduced. The first doctoral degree was granted in 1948. The SLHS program was one of the first in the country to achieve accreditation in both speech pathology and audiology from the Educational Standards Board of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The program has experienced continual growth. Currently we have 40 faculty and clinical faculty, 97 graduate students, and 160 undergraduate students.
Department Heads
2007 - Robert E. Novak, Ph.D.
1998 - 2007 Anne Smith, Ph.D.
1993 - 1998 Jackson T. Gandour, Ph.D.
1992 - 1993 Laurence B. Leonard, Ph.D.
1991 - 1992 Anne Smith, Ph.D.
1987 - 1992 Rachel E. Stark, Ph.D.
1986 - 1987 J. Douglas Noll, Ph.D.
1977 - 1986 Bernd Weinberg, Ph. D.
1973 - 1977 J. Douglas Noll, Ph.D.
1970 - 1973 Robert L. Ringel, Ph.D.
1963 - 1970 M.D. Steer, Ph.D.
Professors Emeritus
Macalyne W. Fristoe, Ph.D.
Luella K. Glick, M.S.
David P. Goldstein, Ph.
D. J. Douglas Noll, Ph.D.
George L. Shaffer, Ph.D.
Robert G. Showalter, M.A