Edward W. Cundiff

This week Texas Advertising has lost a beloved friend and faculty member. Edward W. Cundiff, the John A. Beck Centennial Professor Emeritus in Communication, passed away this week after a brief fight with cancer. Before coming to the Department of Advertising, Ed was previously professor and chairman of the Department of Marketing at The University of Texas at Austin and for ten years was the Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Marketing at Emory University. Dr. Cundiff served as Chair of the Department of Advertising from 1987 to 1990. He was the author of five books and articles that appeared in Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Macromarketing, and Journal of Marketing Management, among others. Dr. Cundiff is the former editor of the Journal of Marketing (1972-76), and former Vice President and board member of the American Marketing Association.

For the hundreds of students and faculty who have had the privilege to know Ed Cundiff, we all are sad to loose such a great individual. Ed's tenure as chairman and faculty member of the department came at a difficult time when internal conflicts had lowered morale and put the future of the department in question. Ed's steady and calm demeanor brought stability and a new vision to the faculty and students.

Ed attended the department retreat this past August and noted that he was pleased at how the department had grown and prospered. We all were delighted when Ed joined us for the annual faculty photo. We will always be grateful for his guidance and wisdom.

11/10/2006