Obituary
Dr. John Sartain Gossett
(1951-2009)
Dr. John Gossett passed away Sunday, June 7, 2009, at Integrity Hospital in Denton, Texas, following a lengthy illness. He was preceded in death by his mother, Dorothy Sartain Gossett. He is survived by his wife, Karen, his son, John S. Gossett, Jr., and his step-son and his wife, Taylor and Yesenia Dodds, and their sons Andrew and Isaac, and his father, Phil Gossett. He is also survived by his sister and her husband, Karla and Tom Campbell, as well as the families of Judd Campbell, Tracy Darragh, Doug Kalmbach, and Greg Kalmbach.
As an undergraduate, Dr. Gossett debated at the University of Houston, completing an undergraduate degree in political science in 1974. He served as a teaching assistant and debate coach at UH from 1974-1976, before transferring to the University of Southern California to complete his doctoral studies. Upon completion of his Ph.D., Dr. Gossett served as Director of Debate at the University of Northern Iowa from 1979-1981.
Joining the faculty of the Department of Communication Studies at the University of North Texas in 1981, Dr. Gossett served as Director of Debate (1981-1991), taught courses in rhetoric and public address, and advised scores of undergraduate and graduate students. He served as Chair of the department from 1989 to 2006. Throughout his tenure at UNT, Dr. Gossett participated in the governance of the National Debate Tournament, serving as a member of the NDT Committee (1982-1990), as a member of the NDT Board of Trustees (1992-2002), and as Chair of the Board of Trustees for four years.
Dr. Gossett was also active in the Texas Speech Communication Association, serving as Vice-President (1989) and President (1990) of the organization. TSCA recognized Dr. Gossett as the University Educator of the Year in 2003. He was also the recipient of several other honors over the course of his career including several awards recognizing his outstanding service to the university community, including the 'Fesser Graham Award (1987), the Honor's Faculty Excellence Award (1988), and the Joe G. Steward Distinguished Service Award (1997-98). Dr. Gossett was also proud to be elected by his peers to serve as Commencement Speaker in 1991 and 1996.
A driving force in the southwest for debate, Dr. Gossett served as the district chair and host of the district tournament multiple times. Gossett rebuilt the North Texas debate program to be a perennial qualifier for the NDT. Under his leadership, the team won twenty intercollegiate debate tournaments. He was a forceful teacher impacting many lives directly and indirectly through the classroom, the debate world, and his own life.
Dr. Gossett believed in taking debate out of the round and into the community. He was an active Texas democrat, who served as advisor to former Texas Governor Mark White, and served as an analyst for KDFW-TV (Channel 4) in Dallas. He was known for his service and dedication as a debate instructor who instilled a sense of intellectual curiosity in his students while encouraging personal, civic, and academic accountability.
A memorial service will be held Monday, June 15 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Denton, Texas. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to the John S. Gossett Memorial Debate Scholarship through the Department of Communication Studies. Donations may be sent in care of the Department of Communication Studies, 1155 Union Circle #305268, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203-5268. Please make checks payable to the UNT Foundation.
Dr. John Sartian Gossett's Guestbook
Visits: 0
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors