Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

Department History

  • 1927:  Mary Johnson Webster begins offering clinical work and courses in "speech correction" through the Department of Theater, College of Fine Arts. First courses were Speech 118 (Elementary Speech Correction) and Speech 119 (Speech Correction Clinic).

  • 1941: Room 104 in Kingsbury Hall was designated as the "University Speech Clinic." The room was partitioned into six cubicles and a waiting room.

  • 1946. Clinical facilities were moved from Kingsbury Hall to Building 413 on the University's upper campus.

  • 1949: First Audiology Masters Thesis defended: An investigation of the effect on the audiogram of starting points in audiometer testing, William Ickes.

  • 1950: Area of "Speech Pathology and Audiology" established within the Department of Speech, College of Arts & Sciences.

  • 1952: University of Utah Speech Clinic moves to space within the new State Children's Health Center which was situated on University property and leased to the state.

  • 1952: First Speech Pathology Master Thesis defended: An audio-visual slide-film series on primary stuttering for parent-teacher guidance, Allez Morrill Ashmead.

  • 1958: First Ph.D. awarded: Hypernasal voice: Its relation to growth disturbance and physiological activity, Samuel Fletcher.

  • 1972: Area of "Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology" moves to the Department of Communication (College of Humanities) and becomes "Division of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology."

  • 1972: Division and Clinic occupy the 12th and 13th floors of the new Social and Behavioral Sciences Building.

  • 1984: Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology get departmental status within the College of Health.

  • 1985: "Dept. of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology" renamed "Department of Communication Disorders."

  •  2002: "Dept of Communication Disorders" renamed "Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders."

  •  2005: Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic moves from 13th Floor of Social and Behavioral Sciences Building to new 6000 square foot facilities in Research Park (417 Wakara Way). Department offices remain in Social & Behavioral Science Building.

  • 2005: Doctor of Audiology (Au.D) degree approved.

CSD Department Chairs

  • Mary Webster, MA - Department of Theater, College of Arts and Sciences. 1927-1929, 1936 - circa 1950

  • Boyd V. Sheets, Ph.D., Director, Area of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Department of Speech, College of Arts and Sciences. 1950-1958

  • Bernard Anderson, Ph.D., Acting Director, Area of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Department of Speech, College of Arts and Sciences. 1958-1960

  • John Anderson, Ph.D., Acting Director, Area of of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Department of Speech, College of Arts and Sciences. 1960-1961

  • Merlin J. Mecham, Ph.D., ASHA Fellow, Director, Division of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Department of Speech (Department of Communication 1972-1976), College of Humanities. 1961-1976

  • Mary Louise Willbrand, Ph.D., ASHA Fellow, Director, Division of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Department of Communication, College of Humanities. 1976-1981

  • Martin S. Robinette, Ph.D., ASHA Fellow, Director, Division of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Department of Communication , College of Humanities. 1981-1984

  • Martin S. Robinette, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, College of Health. 1984

  • Marvin Hanson, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Communication Disorders, College of Health. 1985-1994

  • Geary A. McCandless, Ph.D., ASHA Fellow, Acting Chair, Department of Communication Disorders and Acting Dean, College of Health, 1994-1995

  • Mary Louise Willbrand, Ph.D., ASHA Fellow, Chair, Department of Communication Disorders, College of Health. 1995-2002

  • Bruce L. Smith, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Health. 2002-2009

  • Michael Blomgren, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Health. 2009-present