Long-time professor dies

Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Arthur Kaul, a professor and assistant director of the School of Mass Communication and Journalism, died Tuesday afternoon at home of cancer.

"Art has probably touched more lives that just about anybody," said Denise von Herrmann, interim dean of the College of Arts and Letters. "It's a tremendous loss. I don't think you can ever replace someone like him."

Kaul, a native of St. Louis, joined the USM faculty in 1984. He was given the University's Excellence in Teaching award in 1989, as well as many other awards during his service at Southern Miss.

Kaul served on the Faculty Senate for a number of years and was president of that organization from 1999-2000. He also served on a number of university and professional committees.

Students, faculty and alumni were touched by the news of Kaul's death.

"My heart was honestly saddened to know that Dr. Kaul won't be with us anymore," said Brittany Brown, a senior journalism major from Lucedale. "He was an exceptional professor and a wonderful person. He's been a mentor of mine for the past four years."

Joel McNeece, a 1994 graduate of Southern Miss, contacted The Student Printz via e-mail Wednesday after hearing of Kaul's death.

"My career in journalism can be traced back to one man- Dr. Art Kaul," McNeece said.

McNeece said Kaul pushed him to be a better journalist.

"Despite my many efforts to share with Dr. Kaul the tremendous impact he had on my life and career, I don't think he ever truly understood, mostly due to his own humility," McNeece said.

Chris Campbell, director of the School of Mass Communication and Journalism, had a unique relationship with Kaul, having first been his student and then colleague.

"He's absolutely the best teacher I've ever had," Campbell said. "And to know him as a colleague, I relied on him a lot."

The classes taught by Kaul during the summer will be canceled, and a visiting professor will probably be brought in for the fall until a search for a tenure-track professor is held, said Campbell.

Kaul, is survived by his wife Nancy Kaul, who is the collection development coordinator for Southern Miss libraries; a son, Stephen Kaul; his mother, Beulah Kaul; and three brothers- Jonathon Kaul, of Bunker Hill, Ill.; Daniel Kaul, of Behalto, Ill.; and Luther Kaul, of Evansville, Ind.

Moore Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Visitation will be held Sunday from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church in Hattiesburg. The funeral service will be held Monday at 10 a.m. at the church.

Memorial donations can be made to the St. John Lutheran Music Foundation or the USM Foundation's Art Kaul Memorial Fund to support doctoral mass communication students in their dissertation phase.

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